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On May 14, the Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environment Varazdat Karapetyan met with the delegation of the Congress Co-Rapporteurs of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR).

Reaffirming the commitment of continuing the cooperation and the political dialogue in the frameworks of the monitoring implementation of the European Charter on the Local Self-Government, the CoE Co-Rapporteur Gunn Marit Helgesen was interested in the procedure of Armenia's assumed obligations by the roadmap of the events on the occasion of the Charter ratification and the implementation of the commitments, particularly the reforms in the spheres of the territorial government and local self-government.

Varazdat Karapetyan talked about the principles of the communities' unification process being designed in the near future, as well as the election of the local self-government bodies: the elders and the head of the community. He presented his vision of modifying the government system of the communities and making it more effective. Touching upon the RA legislation of financial leveling, the Committee Chair noted that it should be radically changed, and the European colleagues also held the same opinion.

Let us note that after the visit the Co-Rapporteurs will prepare a report on the reforms of the local self-government in Armenia.

The Congress Co-Rapporteurs Bryony Rudkin, Gunn Marit Helgesen, the independent expert and the Congress Monitoring Committee Secretary Stéphanie Poirel were in the delegation.