At its Cabinet meeting Thursday, the government approved the draft amendments to the law on the national anthem of Armenia.

With this draft, which was tabled by National Assembly speaker Alen Simonyan and MPs Sisak Gabrielyan and Taguhi Ghazaryan, it is proposed to regulate some relations related to the national anthem as well as its performance.

In particular, it is proposed to have one official version of the anthem.

Presenting the proposal, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Daniel Danielyan said, "If according to the current law, the implementation of the law is mandatory in [Armenia’s] schools and institutions of higher education, then with the planned change, it becomes mandatory in [the country’s] colleges and kindergartens as well.

If according to the current law, the playing of the anthem is mandatory during the opening and closing of official sports events, then with the draft, it becomes mandatory also during the award ceremonies that take place during those events.”

According to the deputy minister, in order to create dynamics of the Armenian national anthem, it is also planned to change the order of its quatrains, "valuing the state, the philosophy of freedom, the flag and statehood, as well as the citizen of Armenia."

In turn, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that he had some—or full—participation in the political part of the making of this draft.