It’s a Bit Insulting When People Are Told to Prove They Are Armenian: Vigen Khachatryan

During a meeting of the National Assembly's Permanent Commission on State and Legal Affairs, the issue of amendments and changes to the law on Armenian citizenship was discussed. During the discussion, Vigen Khachatryan, a member of the ruling faction in the National Assembly, addressed the issue of granting Armenian citizenship in an expedited and simplified manner.

“I believe it is not correct when we say that citizenship is granted to ethnic Armenians in a simplified or expedited manner; it would be more accurate to remove 'ethnic Armenians' from that description. It is possible that someone may not be of Armenian descent, but we should accommodate anyone’s desire to become a citizen of Armenia. Therefore, I am against emphasizing 'ethnic Armenians'. It is also a bit insulting when a person is told, 'Come prove that you are Armenian'. If that body believes that there is an Armenian sitting in front of it, there is no need for the person to prove that they are Armenian,” he stated.

Khachatryan cited examples of countries where ethnicity is not listed on passports. “We are creating problems for the person who wants to obtain Armenian citizenship. There may be cases when a person is opposed to the emphasis on 'ethnic Armenians' and wants to obtain Armenian citizenship through a simplified process,” he added.