The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia Anna Vardapetyan participated in the 18th European Regional Conference of the International Association of Prosecutors in the Republic of Malta.
Let's remind that the Prosecutor General's Office of RA has been a member of the International Association of Prosecutors since May 17, 1999. The General Prosecutor of the Republic of Malta Victoria Butijage, General Secretary of the International Association of Prosecutors Royle Dona, Chief Lawyer of the Association Shenaz Muzaffer, prosecutors from the Republic of France, the United States of America participated in the conference. , from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Malta, the Republic of Kazakhstan, etc.
In the framework of the conference, on November 8, 2024, Anna Vardapetyan delivered a speech entitled "Change in the definition of the crime of money laundering in the context of the development of case law of the Court of Cassation in Armenia".
Referring to the investigation of financial crimes in Armenia, including money laundering, the Prosecutor General of Armenia emphasized that according to the 2021 study of the United Nations Interregional Research Institute on Crime and Justice, Armenia has both legal and institutional means to combat money laundering. enough support.
In the context of Armenia's stable development, ensuring legal security, establishing the rule of law and justice in the country, Anna Vardapetyan reaffirmed Armenia's will and commitment to effective investigation of financial crimes, including money laundering crimes, emphasized consistent steps aimed at creating zero tolerance for corruption phenomena. as well as list the institutional work that is done during the investigation of criminal proceedings on money laundering.
The Prosecutor General of the Republic also referred to the existing challenges in the field of investigation of criminal proceedings on money laundering, noting the lack of a unified approach by the law enforcement agencies of different countries, the inconsistency of domestic and foreign investigation practices, etc. In the context of solving challenges, Anna Vardapetyan emphasized the steps taken by the Republic of Armenia to develop international legal cooperation, in particular, the agreement on cooperation between Armenia and Eurojust signed in Brussels on April 5, 2024, which was ratified by the RA National Assembly on September 10, and on September On the 23rd, the working agreement was signed.
According to the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia, the Agreement, which will come into force from December, provides an opportunity for Armenia to send a Prosecutor on Cooperation issues to Eurojust, which will provide an opportunity to ensure operational communication with the contact persons of the EU member states and third countries, will provide an opportunity to implement more effective international legal cooperation with criminal proceedings initiated in the Republic of Armenia. :
Anna Vardapetyan emphasized the landmark decision of the Court of Cassation of Armenia in 2023, which played a significant role in the investigation and prosecution of money laundering cases. The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia Anna Vardapetyan thanked the International Association of Prosecutors and the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Malta for organizing the forum at a high level and emphasized the belief that mutual effective and active cooperation is the prerequisite for success in the fight against financial crimes.
