YEREVAN. – The Constitution of Armenia provides that the President awards with orders and medals and grants honorary titles; that is, it is clearly stated that it shall be done by the law, whereas to this day we had the President’s decree, which stipulated the procedure for granting titles and medals.

The First Deputy Minister of Justice, Artur Hovhannisyan, stated the aforesaid at Tuesday’s special session of the National Assembly (NA). He noted this while presenting bill on making amendments and additions to the law on state awards and honorary titles.

In his words, now it is proposed to entirely define this process by the law. Accordingly, the NA Chairman, Constitutional Court President, Supreme Judicial Council President, and Prime Minister shall have the right to petition to the President of Armenia for awarding.

Accordingly, the heads of state-run agencies shall petition to the PM, and after the petition, the President of Armenia shall grant awards.

As per the deputy minister, this law proposal stipulates, however, that the President and the PM of Armenia cannot be awarded during their tenure.