Mary Yovanovich visited the Anti-corruption Center of Lori region

On March 4, 2009, the US Ambassador to Armenia Mary Yovanovich and the contractor of “Casals and Associates” Inc. Fransois Vezina visited the Anti-corruption Center of Lori region (HCA Vanadzor). The goal of the visit was to get familiar with the activity of the center that was launched 4 months ago.

V. Karadjov, senior technical consultant of Mobilizing Action Against Corruption (MAAC) project of “Casals and Associates” Inc., “Casals and Associates” Inc. coordinator of MAAC project S. Sargsyan, AAC Project Manager Sona Ayvazyan and the employees of HCA Vanadzor participated in the meeting.
  The ambassador was interested in the number of citizens who applied to the center and the nature of issues. The lawyers of the center informed that 56 citizens had applied and that only 12 of the cases had corruption risks in them. US Ambassador Mary Yovanovich wanted to know what the main challenges of the center were. According to the lawyers it is citizens’ trust towards the legal regulation of the problems. As well as the fact that authorities must learn to act within the law and their liabilities, and the citizens should be consistent.
  At the end of the meeting the ambassador welcomed the work and hoped that if it goes on like this there won’t be corruption any more.
  The anti corruption center functions within Transparency International Anti-corruption Center project "Establishment and operation of AACs in Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor" project, supported by USAID Mobilizing Action Against Corruption Activity.