Azatutyun, referring to the subsequent anticorruption hearing held by Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, was in conversation with Transparency International Anticorruption Center’s deputy director Sona Ayvazyan, who introduced “the 2015 anti-corruption index of Armenia’s defense system,” global risk assessment study’s results of the Republic of Armenia’s Defense System.

According to Azatutyun, “one of the key organizations in the fight against corruption, TIAC notices substantial activism in the fight against corruption.”

In a conversation with Azatutyun, Sona Ayvazyan noted that substantial steps are being taken in the fight against corruption, arrests are being made, announcements and discussions are taking place, but that's not enough, no “there are some active processes, which I cannot call a fight, a fight is a very serious thing, maybe. I am not sure the extent to which they want to fight, but some process are taking place which are anti-corruption oriented.”

Sona Ayvazyan noted that, TIAC will consider that there is a fight against corruption if the government takes concrete steps in addressing the issues raised by NGO’s one month ago. For example, if in the process of exposing corruption arrests are not limited to lower level officials. “We know that the money received by lower level officials eventually climbs up. Meaning that the issue isn’t limited to the lower levels,” explains Ayvazyan.

TIAC’s deputy director finds the electoral code extremely important in the political fight against corruption, “And in our opinion the first process has to be an increase in oversight leverage for NGO’s and mass media outlets. That is the priority, and it is for the prevention of political corruption. We have made recommendations in regards to declarations pertaining to conflict of interest issues.”

Sona Ayvazyan mentioned that corruption risks will significantly decrease if information on the defense sector's spending is publicized. Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan has already given certain assignments in regards to this issue. “The Prime Minister simply assigned to work together, attempt to come to a common denominator and understand as to what extent those recommendations can mutually exist,” described TIAC’s deputy director.

See the information on Azatutyun