The co-rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the monitoring of Armenia, Kimmo Kiljunen, has welcomed the country's request for Council of Europe expert legal advice.

The Armenian authorities have decided to request the opinion of the Venice Commission – the Council of Europe’s body of legal experts – on possible changes to the Constitution regarding the Constitutional Court and this is very good news.

“The suspension of the referendum due to the coronavirus, and the choice made by the government to request this opinion and return the issue to parliament are all the more relevant given that the Armenian authorities will now have time to reflect on the opinion of the Venice Commission before taking further action and informing the public. I am looking forward to reading the opinion and seeing how it is taken into account,” Kiljunen said.

“This decision is a good example of both the quality and the level of co-operation between the Council of Europe and the Armenian authorities.”