Justice Minister Grigor Minasyan received European Union Ambassador Vasilis Maragos today. Considering the regional security situation and Azerbaijan's repeated large-scale aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, the minister expressed hope that both the European Union and member states of the Union will adequately assess and strictly condemn Azerbaijan's actions.

Ambassador Maragos thanked for the reception and emphasized that the European Union is highly concerned about the military escalation. The ambassador stressed the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities and expressed hope that the situation would be resolved as soon as possible and a favorable environment would be created for further negotiations aimed at settlement. Maragos noted that the delegation closely follows the developments of the situation and is in constant contact with the ambassadors of the EU member states.

Referring to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border situation, Grigor Minasyan highlighted the EU civilian observation mission's role in reducing tension and increasing border security.

The parties also referred to the cooperation with the EU in the justice field, the results achieved within its framework, and planned programs. Ambassador Maragos noted that justice sector reforms are not limited to the judicial sphere but extend to almost all spheres of state administration.

The parties summarized the projects implemented and ongoing with joint efforts and the judicial reform agenda implemented by the Ministry. In particular, the collective achievements in the field of legislative reforms and institutional capacity development were highlighted, the introduction of alternative means of disruption of the Probation Service - introduction of house arrest and administrative control institutes, the introduction of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, digitalization agenda and several other directions were touched upon. A particular reference was made to the EU budget support program "for the reforms of the justice sector in Armenia" and its exceptional importance in the process of the current judicial reforms.

The parties discussed issues related to the Comprehensive and Extended Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed between Armenia and the European Union, expanding cooperation within its framework and strengthening control mechanisms. In this context, the minister and the ambassador discussed the following steps: organizing regular sessions of the GAC Committee and the subcommittee on justice, freedom, and security issues. At the meeting, the parties also discussed the possibilities of further development of cooperation and other matters of mutual interest.