ARMENIA SET TO CURB FOREIGN OWNERSHIP OF LAND
Irina Hovannisian

Armenia Liberty
Nov 11 2009

The opposition Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun)
has secured a crucial government endorsement of its proposal to
essentially ban Turkish and other foreign companies from buying land
in Armenia’s border regions, it emerged on Wednesday.

The Armenia constitution and other laws do not allow foreign citizens
to own land anywhere in the country. However, the ban does not extend
to companies and other legal entities owned by foreigners.

Under a package of amendments to the Armenian Land Code drafted by
Dashnaktsutyun, those entities would need a special permission from
the government and the Defense Ministry to buy plots of land located
up to 25 kilometers from the borders.

Dashnaktsutyun lawmakers acknowledged on Wednesday that the amendments
are connected with the possible reopening of the Turkish-Armenian
border. The nationalist party has long warned that an open border
could hurt the Armenian economy and jeopardize the country’s national
security.

"It’s not just about Turkey and Turks," said Ruzan Arakelian. "It’s
a matter of national security. A country is protected by its border
regions, and our border regions can be at risk at any moment. You
can acquire land not only through war."

Another Dashnaktsutyun deputy, Ara Nranian, said Turkey itself
restricts foreign ownership of land. "In Turkey, ownership of land
by foreign organizations is not allowed without the military’s
permission," he told RFE/RL. "Things are even stricter there."

In a letter sent to the National Assembly last week, Prime Minister
Tigran Sarkisian described the Dashnaktsutyun bill as largely
"acceptable" but said the Armenian government believes the proposed
restrictions should be even tighter. He said they should cover not
only land but also all "facilities needing special protection."

What is more, that would apply to such facilities located all over the
country and not only border areas, according to a copy of the letter
obtained by RFE/RL. Sarkisian also confirmed that the government is
now looking into relevant Turkish legislation.

In an interview with RFE/RL late last month, Justice Minister Gevorg
Danielian said the increasingly real prospect of border opening
necessitates changes in Armenia’s criminal, civil and land codes.

"When we study [Turkey’s] domestic legislation, we understand that
whether we want it or not, from the viewpoint of a proper protection
of the country’s security and citizens’ rights and freedoms, there
will emerge a need to revise legislation," he said.