YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The seminar organized on May 2 by the "Cooperation for the Sake of Open Society" initiative was dedicated to the discussion of the Armenian authorities' policy towards the national minorities living in the country and to the discussion of the bill "On National Minorities". According to Hranush Kharatian, the author of the bill, Head of the Department on Issues of National Minorities and Religion attached to RA government, the preparation of the bill became necessary after signing of the "International Convention on National Minorities" by Armenia. She mentioned that the rights of the national minorities had been already stipulated by a number of RA laws, including the Constitution and the law "On Working Activity". H.Kharatian said that the bill "On National Minorities" envisages free use of the national language, possibility to get education in the native tongue, preservation of the cultural values, etc. She drew attention to one of the clauses of the bill relating to the formation of the electoral bodies of the communities. According to H.Kharatian, this circumstance will contribute to more effective cooperation of the national minorities with the executive power.

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