EU-funded "Support to Democratic Governance in Armenia" project launched in Yerevan today.
"The European Union is one of the main donors that are working for development of civil society, political pluralism and improvement of access to unbiased information, EU Ambassador Traian Hristea said at the opening ceremony of the project.
Civil society organizations have always been considered a great driving force for big reforms, as well as for promotion of political mobilization the main goal of which was to support the national policy of the country, Hristea said and added that civil society and non-state actors play a greater part in enhancing the legitimacy and transparency of national decision-making.
Despite the fact that all member states of Eastern Partnership project seek to do so the mechanisms in the hands of civil society remain limited.
As to Armenia, here Traian Hristea pointed at the following trends: despite the fact that the participation of civil society in political life grows, however, its participation is still limited.
For his part, Armenia's Justice Minister Hovanes Manukyan, said that the European Union is one those partners which has been actively supporting Armenia in development of democratic institutions as well as introduction of more effective system for human rights protection. He also added that implementation of the "Support to Democratic Governance in Armenia" project will make it possible to enhance democracy and effective management in Armenia.
To note, the EU-funded project has a total budget of 949,670 Euro. The duration of the project is eighteen months. The project is implemented by the British Council in cooperation with its implementing partners CDPF, Grant Thornton and Thomson Foundation.