The European Union (EU) has urged Armenian authorities to continue improving conditions in prisons, including addressing overcrowding in certain penal institutions and applying alternative measures to detention more broadly during the pre-trial phase.
This was reported by the press service of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noting that the Armenian delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan, while the EU delegation was led by Director of the European External Action Service Deren Deryan.
Speaking about the importance of advancing principles of equality and combating discrimination, the EU representative mentioned Armenia's adoption of the Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan for 2025-2028 on April 23, 2025.
The Armenian side informed EU representatives about steps taken towards adopting comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation. Both sides also emphasized the need to continue efforts to combat domestic and gender-based violence, including against LGBTI persons, and to fight hate speech and hate crimes.
Special attention was given to vulnerable individuals, particularly Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh. The European Union confirmed its readiness to continue supporting their integration.
Armenia and the EU also discussed issues related to ensuring a free and independent media environment and enhancing the role of civil society. In this context, the EU inquired about the measures being taken by Armenia to ensure media independence.
The EU also called on Armenia to continue improving conditions in prisons, including addressing overcrowding in certain penal institutions and applying alternative measures to detention more broadly during the pre-trial phase.
In the context of the parliamentary elections held on June 7, Armenia and the EU exchanged views on the preliminary findings of the ODIHR/OSCE election observation mission, including areas needing improvement.
The Ministry reported that the parties agreed to continue consultations on implementing relevant recommendations following the publication of the mission's final report.
Armenia and the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to further close cooperation in the field of human rights both bilaterally and on international multilateral platforms. The next round of the Human Rights Dialogue between Armenia and the European Union is scheduled for 2027 in Brussels.
