On November 24, the National Assembly convened an extraordinary sitting on the initiative of the Government. The parliament approved the agenda of the extraordinary sitting. According to the proposal of the Government and the NA decision, the drafts included in the agenda will be debated with the special procedure. Their debate in the second reading will be carried out within twenty-four hours after the adoption in the first reading.
The legislative package on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law on Service in the National Security Bodies and on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law on National Security Bodies was debated in the first reading. According to the Deputy Director of the NSS Andranik Simonyan, as a result of the adoption of the drafts, the provisions of the laws will be brought into line with the legal regulations provided by the RA legislation, the relations (including maximum age limits for service) related to the appointment and dismissal during the service in the national security bodies will be more clearly regulated, taking into account the nature and features of the service in the national security bodies, as well as the importance of professional staffing in the national security bodies. The practical problems arising during the activities of the RA national security bodies will be solved, the effectiveness of the personnel policy will increase. The powers assigned to the Director of the National Security Service will be defined by the law in terms of regulating the relevant legal relations with departmental legal acts.
The proposed new solutions will also be aimed at developing proper vigilance and higher personal responsibility towards the service performed in the national security agencies.
MP Vilen Gabrielyan presented the endorsement of the NA Standing Committee on Defense and Security.
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The MPs of the NA Armenia Faction Gegham Manukyan, Artsvik Minasyan and Artur Khachatryan expressed concern about the amendment proposed by the draft law on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law on National Security Bodies, namely: Archive materials of the authorized body are declassified and destroyed in accordance with the law and other legal acts.
The Deputy Director of NSS Andranik Simonyan informed that the issue concerning the opposition MPs is regulated by Articles 15 and 16 of the Law on State and Service Secret adopted in 1996.
Andranik Simonyan explained that as a result of the proposed regulations, there will not be a new approach, because it was already in the above-mentioned law.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia