YEREVAN: The first Federal-led Australian Delegation to Armenia held meetings with representatives of the governing coalition and the opposition at the National Assembly in Yerevan, reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).
The delegation, which includes three Federal Australian parliamentarians – Tim Wilson MP, John Alexander MP and Trent Zimmerman MP, one State parliamentarian from New South Wales – Hugh McDermott MP, and five Armenian-Australian business leaders, discussed the recent Velvet Revolution and ensuing challenges towards democratisation for Armenia.
A spotlight was shone on the battle to weed out corruption that was prevalent for 27 years following Independence from the Soviet Union, which had resulted in the monopolisation of the country’s economy.
The delegates were able to share their own experiences dealing with corruption in Australia, and promised to continue this dialogue to help the government in their endeavours.
They also expressed an importance in developing plurality in parliament when meeting with the opposition Bright Armenia party representatives, as this is a key ingredient to shaping a true parliamentary democracy.
“These meetings began the important parliament-to-parliament relationship between Australian and Armenian lawmakers, which can be very valuable to both nations moving forward,” expressed ANC-AU Executive Director, Haig Kayserian.
