By ratifying the Hague Conventions, Armenia will become a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). Yeghishe Kirakosyan, the representative of Armenia for international legal affairs, stated this during the debates on the ratification of the Conventions for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes at the meeting of the Standing Committee on State and Legal

Affairs of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia on Friday.

According to the Kirakosyan, both conventions are purely symbolic.

"For the first time in the history of international law, the content of the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes was worded, and the obligation of countries to settle disputes exclusively peacefully was defined. After ratifying the conventions, Armenia will become a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and thus will have the opportunity to present candidates for arbitrators who will have the opportunity to act as arbitrators in disputes between countries or in investment arbitrations," explained the representative of Armenia for international legal affairs.

Currently, as Kirakosyan noted, 124 countries are members of the PCA. And in case of ratification, Armenia will become the 125th member.

"By ratifying these conventions, Armenia will send an important impulse from a foreign political point of view regarding the peaceful settlement of disputes, establishing peace, as well as banning the use of force and the threat of its use," Kirakosyan noted.

He added that several cases involving Armenia are currently being examined at the PCA, and this is an additional incentive for the country to become a member of this institution.

After some debates, this matter was approved by the aforementioned NA standing committee.