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On March 19 within the framework of the NA “Open Lesson” the students and professors of Anania Shirakatsi International Relations University took part in the sitting of the National Assembly, then met the NA Speaker Samvel Nikoyan.

Welcoming the students the NA Speaker spoke about the importance of becoming a skilful specialist. He called on the students to study well and become demanded specialists in the chosen sphere. “Use these years to be able to find your place in life. Today in Armenia we need purposeful, laborious young people,” Mr Nikoyan underlined. The Head of the parliament presented to the students the structure of the legislative body, the peculiarities of the legislative activity, talked about the separation of three wings and the mechanisms of checks and balances stipulated by Constitution, the debate of the bills and procedures of adoption.

According to tradition, warm and intimate talk was held between the NA Speaker and the students: the latter got acquainted with the delicacies of the parliamentary work through Q & A, specified the views of the head of the parliament on a number of issues concerning the public-political, educational and international spheres. In response to one of the student’s question what social programmes are carried out for future scientists, the NA Speaker has said that the state programme of housing provision “Accessible Apartment to Young Scientists and Members of the Creative Union” has begun.

Replying the question if it is expedient to reserve right of legislative initiative to the organizations and individuals besides the Government and the NA deputies, the Speaker of the Parliament noted that the individual citizens could voice their questions in the parliament through parties, the deputy of the electoral district and the NGOs, have meetings in the parliament with the NA Speaker, chairs and deputies of the NA Standing Committees, conveyed their views. The NA Speaker also has noted that parliamentary hearings are regularly organized on the most important bills in the National Assembly, where the best specialists of the sphere, representatives of NGOs, which is also an important way of the citizens’ participation to the legislative work.

During the Q & A the NA Speaker also touched upon the participation of the Diaspora Armenians in the legislative work, the agenda of the inter-parliamnetary mettings and other themes.