Pashinyan Links Regional Peace to Effective Anti-Corruption Fight

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, visiting the Anti-Corruption Committee on the occasion of the 4th anniversary of the structure's formation and the day of its employees, made a lengthy speech, emphasizing the importance of the fight against corruption and the existing challenges. He described the anti-corruption struggle as "one of the brands of the political ruling team," while admitting that new and unexpected issues have emerged along this path.

"In the environment that existed in 2018, it seemed that to wage an effective anti-corruption fight, political will was necessary, and many issues would be resolved with that. That is, of course, true, because without political will, no issue can be resolved," the Prime Minister said, adding that the Anti-Corruption Committee was created precisely for the expression of that political will.

Pashinyan elaborated on the problems that hinder an effective fight. He noted that if the level of corruption in the country has been high, it means that many people have been involved in it. In this context, he pointed to the influence of personal ties—kinship, friendship, and acquaintance—between individuals operating in the judicial, legal, and state systems on the course of criminal cases. "A little good treatment, as they say, from the operational link, a little good treatment from the investigative link, a little good treatment from the prosecutorial link, a little good treatment from the judicial link... any case loses its chance of reaching its destination, absolutely," the head of the country noted. The Prime Minister saw a connection between the regional military-political situation and the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies, including the anti-corruption fight. According to him, instability and tension distract the attention of investigators, prosecutors, and judges from their main work. "In my assessment, the peace established in our region also gives more opportunity, including to investigative bodies, to focus on their work," he emphasized.

The Prime Minister also touched upon the influence of social networks and targeted attacks against investigators, noting that the law enforcement system has already adapted to these new realities.

Referring to the public discussions around wiretapping, Pashinyan confirmed that the government is investing in the development of the technical capabilities of operational bodies. "Crime itself adopts technological approaches, and if the law enforcement system does not adopt technological approaches, the entire fight against crime will fail," he said, adding that this will allow the creation of a weighty factual basis, independent of personal testimonies.

Concluding his speech, Nikol Pashinyan reaffirmed that the political will of the government in the fight against corruption has not diminished and will not diminish. "Our goal is to prevent corrupt manifestations with our policies," the Prime Minister concluded.