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On September 8 under the sounds of the RA state anthem the opening of the sixth session of the National Assembly of the fifth convocation was held, and the parliament began the work of the first four-day sittings of the session.

The Speaker of the National Assembly Galust Sahakyan presented the draft laws of the agenda of the session, then the four-day sittings, as well as the decisions on postponing the debate of a number of draft laws and on special procedure of the debate. The parliament approved the draft laws of the two agendas and decisions.

At the first sitting of the session, according to the “NA Rules of Procedure” law, an NA Ad-hoc Counting Committee is formed. The NA Speaker Galust Sahakyan proposed to reapprove the order functioning in the previous session, which was approved by voting. The NA Speaker urged the factions to present candidates for including them in the Ad-hoc Committees on Counting and Ethics. The Head of the NA ANC Faction Levon Zurabyan, the Secretary of the Prosperous Armenia Faction Naira Zohrabyan and the Head of the Heritage Faction Rubik Hakobyan announced that their factions refuse to have a representative in the NA Counting Ad-hoc Committee.

Then the deputies continued the debate of the issue interrupted in the previous session, the draft law “On Amending the RA Law on Preservation and Use of the Immovable Historical and Cultural Monuments and Historical Environment.”

Karine Atshemyan presented the endorsement of the NA Standing Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Youth and Sport. She informed the deputies that the draft law had been thoroughly considered in the Committee, parliamentary hearings had been organized and she highlighted the adoption of the submitted bill and proposed to vote for it.

The RA Deputy Minister of Culture Arev Samuelyan in her speech noted that the opinion of the RA Government is also positive, and in her final speech touched upon the voiced recommendations and concerns and gave clarifications.

Thanking for the concerned debates, Arpine Hovhannisyan called on to submit recommendations during the period from the first to the second reading.

Then the deputies in the first reading debated the bill “On Amending the RA Law on Environmental Impact Assessment and Expertise ,” which presented the Deputy Minister of Nature Protection Simon Papyan.

The Deputy Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Agriculture and Environment Tatshat Vardapetyan presented the endorsement of the Committee.

The NA deputies delivered speeches on the bill and presented their positions.

Zaruhi Postanjyan presented the viewpoint of the Heritage Faction related to the issue and noted that the faction would vote against the bill and noted that parliamentary hearings would be urgently organized.

Vardan Ayvazyan presented the viewpoint of the RPA Faction.

In his final speech Simon Papyan thanked the deputies for concerned debates and touched upon the concerns voiced in the speeches. He noted that the MPs’ recommendations would be debated from the first to the second reading and relevant amendments would be made.

The parliament in the first reading debated the draft law “On Amending the RA Code on Administrative Infringements.”

The debate of the issue will continue at tomorrow’s sitting of the National Assembly.