YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The bill of a number of members of the Republican Party of Armenia faction, with which an addendum is envisaged to be made to the RA valid law on "State Duty", was discussed by the first reading in the November 2 sitting of the RA National Assembly. According to this addendum, the privilege of foreign people studying in educational institutions , which implement general educational and special educational programs in the Republic of Armenia is restored with regard to the state duty for consular services and actions. As Hranush Hakobian, the Chairwoman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport and the co-author of the draft, mentioned beginning from 1997 up to 2006 inclusive students studying in the RA educational institutions were exempted from the payment of the state duty for giving documents with regard to their situation, as well as for services for drawing up access patents. The restoration of that patent, according to her, will be applied for teachers and lecturers, who are foreign citizens, as well, which will contribute to the invitation of foreign specialists by educational institutions, to conducting joint work and exchanging productive experience. Moreover, the law will be given a retrospective force: it will come into force from September 1 of the current year. According to Hranush Hakobian, the above-mentioned addendum will spread over 300 foreign students, since the issue of the other students is regulated with interstate agreements. Thus, the cost of the bill makes approximately 30 million drams, taking into consideration the fact that 300 people each ought to have paid a state duty of 105 thousand drams (approximately 320 U.S. dollars). It should be mentioned that the elimination of this privilege caused a great dissatisfaction among foreign students and they even organized demonstrations in this connection.

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