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The adoption of the draft law is conditioned by the necessity of ensuring continuity of the activity of the Foreign Ministry, the rise of efficiency, ensuring the laws prescribed by the Constitution with authorizing norms, as well as harmonizing with legislation on public service: The RA Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan during the debate of the draft law on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law on Diplomatic Service at the extraordinary sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations on December 4.

According to the Deputy Minister, it is proposed to make the position of the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry being considered diplomatic service position as civil service position. He noted that after the constitutional amendments in 2018, the bodies prescribed by the Constitution can be authorized by law to adopt normative sub-legislative normative legal acts. There is a need to set by the law the authority of appointing, releasing the attachés/representatives working in the body enclosed to the RA diplomatic service, the job creation in the foreign states.

Mnatsakan Safaryan noted that on the basis of the RA Government decision military and trade attaches, as well as on defense can function in the body enclosed to the RA diplomatic service in the foreign states, and the RA representatives in the international organizations. As the key rapporteur informed, by the proposal of the Ministry of Defense the law was added with a new Article, according to which, the military attaché on defense can have deputies and assistants.

Relevant employees from the RA Prime Minister’s Staff and the state government system, in exceptional cases, from other bodies for the state security or protection of the rights, freedoms and security of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia can be sent to a business trip.

The Deputy Minister underscored that amendments of technical character were also made in the draft law, and some regulations were complied with the provisions set by the legislation on Public Service.

The representative of the Government proposed to the debate the draft law in the parliament in 24- hour regime.

The co-rapporteur, the Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Sargis Khandanyan added that the draft law is aimed at harmonizing, differentiating, setting authorizing norms and proposed the attendees to endorse the draft law.

The Committee endorsed the draft law.