AMENDMENTS AND ADDITIONS ENVISAGED IN RA LAW "ON DUAL CITIZENSHIP"

Noyan Tapan
Feb 08 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly started on
February 7 discussion of the package on making amendments and additions
to the law "On Dual Citizenship" and a number of other laws. The
discussion is to continue till February 8. The legislative initiative
of the government is provided by liquidation of the prohibition on
dual citizenship by the 2005 constitutional amendments. The bases
and order of getting RA citizenship are defined by the amendments
and additions being proposed in the law "On Dual Citizenship."

Acoording to the draft, a RA dual citizen, a person having other
state’s citizenship besides the RA one, is recognized only as a RA
citizen for Armenia.

This principle is also spread "on RA citizens getting out of RA
citizneship without the fixed order, adopted or got other state’s
citizenship as well as refused RA citizenship one-sidedly after January
1, 1995." A RA dual citizen has all the rights envisagd for the RA
citizen and bears all the obligations and responsibilities except
the cases envisaged by RA international agreements or the law. In
the case if a RA citizen adopts another state’s citizenship as well,
he is obliged to inform the authorized body about it according to the
order fixed by the RA government. Not informing causes responsibility
envisaged by the law. A dual citizen makes use of the electoral right
participating in the votes in the RA territory but may not be nominated
as a candidate for the RA president or a NA deputy. According to the
addition envisaged to the law "On Conscription," another state’s
citizen adopted the RA citizenship is free of compulsory military
service if he, before adopting the RA citizenship, served in the
armed forces of another state not less than 12 months or underwent
alternative military service in another state not less than 18 months,
except the states fixed by the RA government. A RA citizen adopted
another state’s citizenship is not set free of compulsory military
service, irrespective of the circumstance if he served in another
state or did not.