Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the progress of the Government of Armenia in implementing the recommendations made by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights since its monitoring mission to that country in 2013.

We assess that the Government of Armenia has made progress in implementing the recommendations of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights (ODIHR) to improve electoral processes since its 2013 monitoring mission. While the preparations for and conduct of the December 2015 constitutional referendum fell below expected standards, we welcome the more consultative approach adopted by the Government of Armenia in drafting and adopting a new electoral code in 2016. The UK continues to lobby for further progress and to fund projects to enhance prospects for free and fair elections.

In the run-up to the April 2017 parliamentary elections, we have provided international expertise on electoral dispute resolution to the Central Electoral Commission; and, as part of an international partnership, are contributing to a United Nations Development Programme-led project to implement the newly-adopted electoral code to increase voter understanding of and trust in the electoral process.