On August 21 the National Assembly continued the work of the extraordinary session. By the proposal of Mr. Tigran Torosyan, President of the National Assembly, before turning to the debated issue, voting took place.  For the first reading were adopted the RA draft laws, debated the previous day, on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Law on Trade and Services, on Making Amendments and Addendum to the RA Law on Usage of Cash Control Machines by the attached legislative package and the RA draft law on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Customs Code.

Then was continued the debate of the draft law, submitted by the Government, begun the previous day on Making Amendments to the RA Law on Approving the Annual and Complex Programs of the Events of the Restoration, Preservation, Reproduction and Exploitation of the Ecosystem of Lake Sevan, through which it is proposed to release water from lake Sevan.

Their views on the bill continued to present the fractions.

Mr. Hakob Hakobyan, presented the view of the RPA faction and said that they will vote for the draft law. Mr. Hovhannes Margaryan presented the view of the Country of Law faction. According to the faction a new concept is needed for the improvement of the ecosystem on Lake Sevan. Mr. Margaryan assured they would vote for the draft law.

Mr. Vahan Hovhannisyan, Head of the ARF faction presented the position of the faction. According to him the executive authority just did not believe the increase of the water level of Lake Sevan, which was at the base of the adopted laws of 2001, as a result the increase of the level of lake becomes dangerous for the surrounding infrastructures. The head of the faction said that their position would depend on the circumstances on what answers will be given to the three proposals. Whether the envisaged allotments for Lake Sevan in the draft state budget of 2009 will be more than four times, whether the issues will be distinctly formulated in the forthcoming created committee, for not new issues occurred and the third- whether a program of improving the irrigation system will be stipulated in the budget expenses.

During the debate of the issue through the third reading Mr. Armen Martirosyan, Mr. Styopa Safaryan, Ms. Larisa Alaverdyan, members of the Heritage faction reassured their position that the presented draft does not express the interests of the rural inhabitants, but it is connected with coastal areas, as well as with the issues of production of electric energy.

Mr. Tigran Torosayn, President of the National Assembly took an extraordinary speech, related to the issue in debate. 

“Our colleagues stated that an extremely important issue is debated. Of course it is really so and it will be right for the debate to be appropriate to the seriousness of the issue. Talking frankly I do not want to agree with our colleague that here we are discussing the issue of honesty of the government. I think there is neither ground nor sense to discuss such an issue. If anybody has a problem with the Government he/she can present his/her reservations through relevant mechanisms.

The issue of Sevan is really extremely important; it is not only an issue of water, as an environmental issue of Lake Sevan but a complex issue. It is evident that unfortunately we touch upon the issue step by step, whereas this is the very issue, worth of continuous attention. I believe in this aspect we should record that our committee should constantly keep this issue in the center of its attention, and periodically present the parliament a relevant view, related either the situation or those core issues, that presented our colleagues. Of course there are a number of  main questions and the issue of environment of Sevan and the issue of irrigation system as well as agronomy assistance issue. Sometimes we have, as today, to solve certain agricultural related problems,brought about by the situation. This is also an extremely important issue; on the other hand it is important to present convincing substantiations, either related to the precipitations or comparative analysis about how were the precipitation, harvest, sowing areas and garden surfaces, taking into consideration all the questions .

The most important issue for us all here is that during the voting we ensure that the solution that has been proposed has no viable alternative. Secondly we also need to ensure that the proposed mechanisms of solution will not have a negative influence on the ecosystem of Sevan. Certainly the issue of the irrigation system is also very important. I think, today taking into consideration the growth of the budget, we have the opportunity to give the issue of serious consideration. It can seem that water is not in general  expensive goods, but I am sure it is not so. The cost of great loses each year are much more than the demanded expenses for reconstructing the system.

Summing up my speech I want to say the following: I agree that more sums should be allotted for the ecosystem of Sevan, but the program is very important and only after the presentation of this program it will be clear whether the sums allotted to the program should be more than 4 or 5 times. So the priority should be given not to the sum but the program, also the productive realization of the sum should be highlighted.

Though fully agreeing with Mr. Vahan Hovhannisyan’s three issues, anyhow I want to propose the issue of Sevan to be kept at a plane of continuous attention through the relevant committee of the National Assembly as an exclusive issue of our country. Our committee should be constantly ready for either presenting its questions or commenting and explaining the issue so that everybody, even not being a member of that committee to be aware of the issue and to vote in case there are similar proposals. Of course it is desirable that such proposals  be as few as possible.

I believe no one wants to harm Sevan and I do not agree with those primitive questions as if the draft was submitted for the buildings on the coast of Sevan. Of course it is very important for everybody, who will vote for this draft to be sure that the issue is concrete and it is related to the solution of the issue of the agricultural difficult situation and even the solution is very absurd in  comparison with the last years it would not cause any harm to the ecosystem of Sevan. I am sure Mr. Andreasyan will present additional substantiations and we would vote for the adoption of the draft.”

In his final speech, the main speaker, Mr. Andranik Andreasyan, Head of the State Committee of Water Resources of the Ministry of Territorial Administration of the Republic of Armenia, touched upon the MPs’ proposals. He assured that in September, a committee dealing with the core issues of Sevan affairs will be created by the decree of the President of the Republic of Armenia, the events on environmental protection will be increased and a concept of storage lake construction will be presented.

Touching upon the written proposals Mr. Andreasyan said that two proposals were received, the proposal of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs of the National Assembly on creating a committee on the affairs of Lake Sevan was adopted, the proposal of the Heritage faction on not to increase the amount of released water was rejected.

After the debate during the two readings the bill was adopted in it's current form.

The parliament debated, and through the second and third reading adopted the Government submitted draft Laws of the Republic of Armenia by the attached legislative package on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Law on Trade and Services, on Making Amendments and Addendum to the RA Law on Usage of Cash Control Machines.

Then the Parliament debated for the second reading and adopted the Government submitted draft law, by the attached draft law, on Making Amendments and Addenda to the RA Customs Code.

Exhausting the agenda the National Assembly ended its work.