National and religious minorities in Armenia are free from discrimination.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ashot Hovakimian stated the aforesaid as he presented a report on Armenia’s implementation of the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

The report was submitted to the Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, informed the UN website.

Hovakimian noted that one of the main achievements of the constitutional reforms in Armenia was Article 89, according to which national minorities were allocated four permanent seats in the National Assembly.

He added that the standalone legislation on anti-discrimination was currently being developed by the Ministry of Justice, and it was expected to be adopted by the end of 2017.

The deputy FM stated that as of 2015, 66 religious organizations were registered in Armenia, out of which eight were the religious organizations of national minorities, including Russian, Assyrian, Jewish, and Yazidi religious communities. He said they were allowed to operate freely, and to build their meeting houses and places of worship. He added that civil society organizations of national minorities had established Sunday schools operating in their languages.

Hovakimian stressed that Armenia’s desire to maintain good relations with the neighboring countries was part of its foreign policy. He added, however, that some neighbors should also demonstrate the same desire.  

As for the reduction of the number of Azeris in Armenia, Ashot Hovakimian noted that the census was based on the principle of self-identification. 

“People could not be encouraged to declare their identification as one or another,” he noted. “There might have been some sensitive issues regarding persons of mixed Armenian-Azeri origin.”