ICC president holds talks in Yerevan

PanARMENIAN.Net - International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane has arrived in Armenia on her first official visit to the country. She was received by Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan.

Armenia became a member of the International Criminal Court on February 1, 2024, joining the Rome Statute as the 124th state party and the 19th member from the Eastern European group.

During the meeting, the sides stressed the importance of developing bilateral cooperation and strengthening institutional partnership, particularly in the context of improving prosecutors’ capacities in investigating international crimes. A number of issues related to evidence collection in criminal proceedings and the protection of victims and witnesses were also discussed.

Anna Vardapetyan expressed interest in implementing joint training programs with the International Criminal Court, expanding technical cooperation and developing mechanisms for exchanging experience. The importance of a victim-centered approach in criminal proceedings was also highlighted.

Anna Vardapetyan and Tomoko Akane reaffirmed their readiness to develop effective and transparent cooperation mechanisms and continue constructive dialogue.

Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of the Netherlands Viktor Biyagov, Head of the International Criminal Court Office Hirad Abtahi and other officials also attended the meeting.