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On November 10, at the regular sitting of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs the draft law on Amending the Law on Public Service authored by the Government was debated in the first reading.

Presenting the necessity of making amendments, the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs to the Prime Minister’s Staff Zareh Sinanyan has noted it is conditioned by the requirement of the RA Government five-year programme, according to which it has been set to create Institute of Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs.

According to Zareh Sinanyan, the aim of the Institute creation is to develop Armenia-Diaspora cooperation, to raise the efficiency of the works being done in the sphere, to ensure the stable relations among the Armenian communities, as well as to support the organization of the events aimed at the preservation of the Armenian identity, repatriation and the integration of the Diaspora Armenians in Armenia.

The Commissioners for Diaspora Affairs are appointed by the RA Prime Minister’s decision by the proposal of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs with the status of the Adviser on the voluntary bases in the foreign states. They are not paid, they don’t have normalized work and work time regime.

The key rapporteur proposed to set special - 24-hour procedure for the debate of the draft law.

Touching upon the MPs’ concern on the Commissioners’ work on voluntary bases, the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs to the Prime Minister’s Staff noted that the idea and the need was born in the Diaspora.

In his co-report Vahagn Hovakimyan has underlined that the establishment of the Institute does not suppose budgetary expenditures and has proposed to endorse the draft law.

The Committee endorsed the draft law.