Dual citizenship - a step towards unification of the Armenian Nation.

The Israeli form is more applicable for Armenia, the 2/3 of whose nation is spread all over the world.

The RA National Assembly passed a bill on citizenship in its second and last reading. 66 deputies voted for, 5 were against. Those having dual citizenship may have a vote in elections in Armenia only if they have residence registration in their own name. This stipulation also anticipates those citizens' registration at the enlistment office. Those being 18 and over, and having permanent residence in Armenia over the last 3 years, capable of expressing themselves in Armenian and being familiar with the country's Constitution may be granted Armenian citizenship.

February 27, 2007

PanARMENIAN.Net - Besides Armenian citizenship may be obtained when either the husband or the wife is Armenian or the child of a married couples has Armenian citizenship, or when one has Armenian origins. Those having been revoked the Armenian citizenship after January 1, 1995 may also obtain Armenian citizenship. According to the Document, request for obtaining Armenian citizenship may be turned down for those who are of some danger to the national or public security. Revocation of the citizenship is not necessarily to be founded. According to law, anyone having dual citizenship may serve in the Armenian Army, however, if they have done their military service in another country for minimum 12 months, or have done alternative military service for 18 months minimum, they have the right not to serve in the Armenian Army. Parliamentary amendments do not free the Armenian citizens holding the citizenship of another country at the same time, from serving in the Armenian Army. Meanwhile those having dual citizenship may not put forward once candidacy for President or NA Deputy. They cannot be Member of Constitutional Court either.

The institute of dual citizenship has been functioning for a rather long time, so it is well known to international and constitutional right in all its aspects, as well as in the way it is implemented. Countries recognizing dual citizenship, must sign a contract, where the salvations of all possible disputable questions are stipulated. Only after signing this contract dual citizenship may be applied in the given country. This means that if Armenia doesn't have the above mentioned contract with, suppose, USA or Great Britain, dual citizenship will be merely declarative for the Diaspora in these countries. In 1940 in the USA bill on Citizenship was passed, which limited the rights of the American citizens taking part in the elections of another country. Those having dual citizenship must pay the bills according to the laws of both countries, if no contract of tax avoidance is signed between those two countries. Being within the boarders of one country, the dual citizenship holder may not count on the protection of the other country's Government. Similar laws are also applied in Great Britain. If one holds citizenship of a different country, he doesn't lose the citizenship of Great Britain. Even if one is granted UK citizenship and at the same time holds citizenship of another country, which doesn't recognize dual citizenship, the Government of this country has the right to demand renouncement of the UK citizenship.

The Israeli form is more applicable for Armenia, the 2/3 of whose nation is spread all over the world. The Declaration of Independence of Israel, adopted in 1948, states; " The State of Israel will be open to Jewish immigration and will receive all the Jews spread all over the world; it will strain every effort for the development of the country for the welfare of its people." In fact any Jew arriving in Israel from another country may obtain Israeli passport without any bureaucratic protractions, not being obligated to renounce the first citizenship. As for taxes, according to unwritten law every Jew assigns his so-called "1/10" to the Government.