On 12 June, on the occasion of the meeting of the Steering Committee on the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia, Congress Director Jean-Philippe Bozouls met Suren PAPIKYAN, the new Minister of Territorial Administration and Development of Armenia in Yerevan. The Director referred to Armenia’s commitments with a view to the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, the Congress recommendations drawn up as part of the 2014-2016 monitoring procedure and the post-monitoring roadmap signed between the Congress and Armenia in June 2016. He underlined the need for the reform process in Armenia to be accompanied by decentralisation in consultation with local authorities. The Minister reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to continuing and advancing the process of decentralization and stressed the importance his country attaches to the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and co-operation with the Congress. He also accepted the invitation to address the Congress’ 35^th Session (7-9 November 2018), extended by the Congress Director on behalf of the Congress President.