The delegation was received by Mr. Atom Janjughazyan, Chairman of the ACRA, along with the Secretary General, representatives of subordinate units of the ACRA, and representatives from the Armenian Parliament and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Also in attendance from the SAV side was Ms. Lang Trinh Mai Huong, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation.
During the meeting, Mr. Atom Janjughazyan warmly welcomed the SAV delegation, noting:
“This is the first official bilateral meeting, laying the foundation for a long-term and sustainable relationship, mutual development, and contribution to the standing of the international community of Supreme Audit Institutions.”
Providing an overview of the ACRA, Mr. Janjughazyan shared that the ACRA is an independent state body responsible for auditing public finance, assets, and the legality and effectiveness of the use of state and community budgets, loans and credits received, as well as assets owned by the state and community. The ACRA is authorised to inspect legal entities only under conditions prescribed by law, operates under an action plan approved by itself, and reports annually to the Parliament.
Established in 1996 as a parliamentary oversight chamber, the ACRA’s legal status was enshrined in the 2015 Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, which reinforced its independence and role in overseeing the use of public resources, ensuring transparency, accountability, and effectiveness in public financial management.
The ACRA was fully institutionalised in 2018 upon the enactment of its dedicated law, leading to the full implementation of a state audit system in Armenia. The agency’s position as the supreme audit institution was further strengthened through legal amendments effective from June 2024.
According to Chairman Janjughazyan, the mid-2024 legal amendments were a key milestone in aligning Armenia’s legal framework with the Lima and Mexico Declarations of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI). These amendments further enhanced the ACRA’s independence in terms of finance, structure, and operations, while expanding its mandate to better serve the public interest through its auditing function.
In terms of international cooperation, the ACRA is a member of INTOSAI, the European Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (EUROSAI), the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), and actively participates in working groups such as the Working Group on Environmental Auditing (WGEA), the Working Group on SDG and Key Sustainable Development Indicators (WGSDG-KSDI), the Working Group on Public Procurement Audit (WGPPA), and the Working Group on Information Technology Audit (ITWG), among others.
The ACRA has signed bilateral memoranda of understanding with supreme audit institutions from countries such as Russia, China, Germany, the Netherlands, and France. It also promotes cooperation with SAIs of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan through joint audits, capacity building, and exchange of practical experience.
Expressing his delight to visit Armenia, a country rich in history and culture and one with longstanding, friendly ties with Viet Nam – Deputy Auditor General Tran Minh Khuong thanked the ACRA leadership and colleagues for their warm reception. He reaffirmed that the State Audit Office of Viet Nam (SAV) would enhance cooperation and support the ACRA within both bilateral and multilateral frameworks.
Providing an overview of the SAV, Khuong noted that after 30 years of development, the SAV currently comprises 32 units with over 2,000 civil servants, public employees, and staff members.
SAV is an active and contributing member of the international audit communities. It is one of the four founding members of the ASEAN Supreme Audit Institutions (ASEANSAI), and has served multiple terms as Chair of ASEANSAI’s Strategic Planning Committee. SAV has also completed its tenure as Chair of ASOSAI for the 2018–2021 term, fulfilled its responsibilities as a member of the ASOSAI Governing Board (2021–2024), and currently serves as a member of the ASOSAI Audit Committee (2024–2027).
“In the time ahead, the SAV will remain a responsible member in building and implementing multilateral commitments and agreements, while fulfilling its role on the ASOSAI Audit Committee,” Khuong affirmed.
He noted that the responsibilities and collaboration between the National Assembly and the SAV are governed by the State Budget Law and the State Audit Law. The SAV performs all statutory functions, including providing opinions for the National Assembly on state budget estimates and allocation plans, giving inputs on investment decisions for major national projects, participating in legislative oversight activities, and focusing their audits on final accounts of local and central government agencies to support parliamentary approval processes.
The SAV has issued its own audit standards, comprising 43 standards aligned with international standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAIs), and regularly updates its audit procedures and guidelines. It also innovates in developing annual and medium-term audit plans.
Regarding the SAV’s development strategy to 2030, Khuong stated that the agency has issued numerous recommendations on financial settlement and regulatory improvement. It has also advised auditees to review, correct, and address shortcomings to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public resource management. Most SAV recommendations have been seriously and comprehensively implemented by relevant agencies and units.
At the meeting, Deputy Auditor General Khuong proposed strengthening bilateral cooperation between the SAV and ACRA through increased delegation exchanges, sharing experience on new auditing methodologies, capacity building for auditors, and improving public financial management. He also suggested developing a long-term cooperation plan focused on audit areas of mutual interest.
In the multilateral context, both sides agreed to continue supporting each other in international forums such as INTOSAI and its working groups, and ASOSAI, in order to enhance the value and benefits of each party and the organisations at large.
“Today’s meeting marks an important starting point in the bilateral relationship between the SAV and the ACRA. I believe that, in their traditional role of promoting transparency and accountability in the public sector, both institutions will build a strong partnership and contribute further to the development of the international audit community,” Khuong concluded.
During the meeting, the two sides also shared professional practices related to the development and implementation of medium-term and annual audit plans, audit priorities, and mechanisms for monitoring and following up on audit conclusions and recommendations.