YEREVAN. – At its Cabinet session on Thursday, the government gave a negative conclusion to the draft law which the National Assembly (NA) “Bright Armenia” Faction members have introduced. 

This bill proposes that the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations be given powers to hold meetings between the committee members and the country’s ambassadors, or heads of diplomatic missions, who are accredited in foreign countries and international organizations, after their respective nomination, but prior to their appointment.

Deputy Foreign Minister Grigor Hovhannissian presented this proposed law at the Cabinet meeting. But he noted that they do not consider the adoption of this bill to be acceptable.

As respective grounds, it is noted, in particular, that the concept of a legislative requirement for parliamentary engagement in the appointment of Armenia’s diplomatic representatives can be debated on solely in the context of transformation of the logic of powers of the constitutional amendments and the branches of power.

In turn, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan—who was chairing the Cabinet session—said there were such regulations in countries with a strong presidential system of government, whereas there was no need for such a regulation in countries with a parliamentary system of government—including Armenia—because the NA “team” and the government “team” are the same.