Thursday, December 21 2017 15:24

ArmInfo.The Armenian parliament adopted a bill that could become a new watershed between supporters of the traditional national family and adherents of the European values of modern relations. Amendments to the Family Code and a package of accompanying laws were made at an extraordinary meeting of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia on December 21 in the second and final reading.

Presenting the draft amendments, Deputy Minister of Justice of the RA  Suren Krmoyan stressed that the government's legislative initiative  is based on the provisions of the new Constitution and international  obligations of Armenia. He stressed that the package contains the  procedure for the deprivation of parental rights, a list of  structures and persons entitled to appeal on the issue of deprivation  or restriction of parental rights.

According to the amendments, persons will be entitled to adopt a  child three months after receiving all necessary permits, but this  will happen only if the Police does not find the real parents of the  child. At the same time, citizens of Armenia or representatives of  the Armenian diaspora will have the advantage in adopting children.  When adopting, the consent of both parents who have adopted the  adoption decision is necessary. The package presents the order of  control over the family who adopted the child. The document for the  first time presented a provision concerning the interests of the  child. In particular, his right to express his own opinion is  expanded, which can be taken into account when the child reaches 10  years of age. At the same time, persons over 50 years of age will not  have the right to adopt a child. The package also provides types of  guardianship. In violation of the rights of the child, liability is  provided, including criminal liability. The deputy minister said that  according to the situation to date, 245 applications for adoption  have been received, of which 47 requests have been granted. In total,  there are about 250 children in orphanages. 

"Returning children to families is the priority task of the Armenian  government," the deputy minister said, adding at the same time that  the package presented is intended to solve the problem of  transparency in the adoption process. At the same time, children  suffering from various types of diseases, as a rule, are adopted by  citizens of foreign countries.