YEREVAN (YERKIR)–President Kocharian’s anti-corruption advisor Bagrat Yesaian met on Thursday with representatives of twenty-six non-governmental organizations (NGO) interested in fighting corruption in Armenia.
"Public awareness is crucial," stressed Yesaian–adding that the government itself should be open to the proposals–while the media should play an active role in magnifying government’s responsibilities. "My experience indicates that those governmental agencies that are under even a little media scrutiny begin to behave more responsibly–and try to comply with the law."
NGO representatives expressed readiness to cooperate on proposals put forth by Yesaian.
President Kocharian appointed Yesaian to his post in September 2003 to formulate anti-corruption initiatives that have long been promised by the authorities. Yessaian is a senior member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation who has been pushing for the creation of a special government agency to identify and investigate fraud.
