Proposed Amendments to Passport Laws: Another Decision Against Artsakh, Says 'Hraparak'

At the government meeting yesterday, the draft amendments to the laws on passports, which received approval, are reportedly another decision against Artsakh. In any case, the long-term goal is that the passports of the people of Artsakh will no longer mention the name of the country.

The justification for the draft states quite clearly: “Currently, the place of birth is indicated in the passport (or identification card) of a citizen of the Republic of Armenia by the state where the citizen was born. This approach raises issues in cases where the place of birth is a state not recognized by the Republic of Armenia or an internationally disputed territory. In practice, there are many instances where a citizen applies to the Passport and Visa Department of the Police of the Republic of Armenia to change their place of birth, as the indication of any state in the passport (identification card) as the place of birth creates problems for them when exercising their rights in other foreign states.”

According to the justification, this issue has been discussed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, from which an analysis of international practices was received, indicating that in the vast majority of developed countries, passports issued to citizens do not state the country where the individual was born but rather the city, village, or region of birth; some countries also mention the state.

The full article can be read in today’s issue of the newspaper.