Estonia to Help Armenia Enhance Anti-Corruption Efforts in Municipalities

TALLINN – The Estonian Centre for International Development (EstDev) and the non-profit organization Transparency International Estonia have launched a cooperation project aimed at helping Armenian local governments better assess and prevent corruption risks by sharing Estonia's experience.

According to data from the Armenian Prosecutor General's Office, 31 local government officials were prosecuted for corruption offenses in 2023. This is the second-highest figure after the police and defense sectors, indicating that corruption at the local government level remains a serious problem. Additionally, between 2024 and 2025, the Armenian Corruption Prevention Commission held six municipal leaders accountable for failing to declare conflicts of interest related to public procurement.

The project's launch event took place in late June in Yerevan, where Estonia's Ambassador to Armenia, Marge Mardisalu-Kahar, opened a two-day seminar. During the event, Estonian and Armenian experts, along with representatives from five Armenian municipalities, discussed practical solutions for assessing and preventing corruption risks at the local government level.

In the coming months, a corruption risk assessment questionnaire, based on Estonian experience but adapted to Armenian conditions, will be piloted in five Armenian municipalities.

"In Estonia, several practical solutions have been implemented to prevent corruption risks, including a self-assessment environment for local governments' corruption risks. We are sharing this experience with our partners not as a universal solution, but as an experience that can be adapted to the needs of Armenian local governments. We believe that the best solutions emerge when partners can share practical experiences and learn from each other," said Kadri Org-Lilleväli, project manager at Transparency International Estonia.

According to her, international cooperation is not just about transferring knowledge, but also about building trust between partners.

"It is this kind of trust that allows for honest discussions about problems, sharing effective solutions, and supporting anti-corruption reforms so that corruption prevention becomes a part of daily management," Org-Lilleväli added.

According to Eva-Maria Liimets, Head of Democracy and Rule of Law at EstDev, a strong civil society and transparent local governments are the foundation of democracy.

"We are pleased to cooperate with our Armenian partners who wish to increase openness, trust, and accountability in their communities. The goal of Estonia's development cooperation is not to offer ready-made solutions, but to share experiences and support local leaders in implementing their reforms," Liimets explained.