Setting limits on Diaspora Armenians’ entrance to Armenia?
RA Deputy Chief of Police Artur Osikyan today continued to present the package comprised of 8 legislative initiatives at the National Assembly. The National Assembly today discussed the amendments in the law "On Foreigners".
The draft law includes points that the deputies believe violate the rights of Diaspora Armenians, primarily the Armenians of Javakhk.
"Article 7 of the RA law "On Foreigners" sets a 90-day entrance visa for foreigners wishing to visit Armenia throughout the year. However, Article 7 of the same law has not adopted as a principle the period of stay, but the moment of entrance when granting the entrance visa. There is a contradiction here," noted ARF MP Artsvik Minasyan.
He also underlined that citizens with visas are in a poorer state than those without them. "To eliminate that contradiction and help Javakheti-Armenians have the right to move freely, the ARF proposes to replace the mentioned norm in Article 7 of the law with the words "they can stay in the territory of Armenia for a maximum of up to 90 days in a year".
I'm certain that any Javakheti-Armenian will visit Armenian at least once every three months. After that amendment, our fellow Armenians won't have any problems," said Artsvik Minasyan, adding that the ARF had also taken into account the international experience.
Summing up the draft law, Osikyan promised to take the deputies' suggestions into consideration before the second discussion and asked them to submit those suggestions in written form.
