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On November 20 the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs organized parliamentary hearings to discuss the problems of technical security provision. The NA deputies, representatives of the government and the organizations reponsible for the sphere took part in the hearings.

In his welcoming speech the Committee Chairman Koryun Nahapetyan has noted that the goal of the hearings is the legal, social, economic, systemized and organizational bases of the technical security provision in the Republic of Armenia. In Mr Nahapetyan’s word, the prevention of technogenic and production accidents, the protection of the population and environment from those accidents, the elimination of their consequences are at the centre of attention of the public and the parliament. Touching upon the legal-regulatory problems, Mr Nahapetyan has stated that the Republic of Armenia with a number of international treaties ratified, as well as by the membership to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) assumed certain obligations on legal regulation of the technical security of the hazardous production facilities, and conditioned by that it is necessary to comply the RA legislation with the abovementioned international obligations. The Committee Chairman has underlined that the situation existing in the technical security of the gas-filling stations, lifts, cranes, merry-go-around, the process of the accounting of the hazardous production facilities and the organization of the assessments within established terms is still problematic. At the same time, it is very important to take steps in the complete contribution to the insurance institute of the damages caused to the life, health and property of the persons working in the hazardous production facilities, as well as the other citizens being in those facilities.

Summing up the word, Koryun Nahapetyan has expressed hope that today’s parliamentary hearings as a platform will serve for the presentation of the approaches and the positions of all concerned sides and the exchange of the opinions.

At the beginning of his speech the RA Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Emergency Situations Haykaram Mkhitaryan first presented the activities, passed path and the achievements of the Ministry, then noted that the Ministry had become an authoritative body of the sphere of the technical security based on the decision of August 21, 2008. Mr Mkhitaryan detailed the work done and the functions by the Ministry, the State Fire and Technical Security Inspection, Accreditation and Licensing Agency of the Staff and the Organizations Implementing Examinations in the technical security provision.

Ashot Petrosyan, Director of the State Non-Commercial Organization National Centre Technical Security presented the functions of the structure led by him: training of the Staff involved with technical issues, qualification, elaboration of the rules, holding of the technical security examination, survey testing, and diagnostics.

Ashot Petrosyan, the NGO Chairman of the Association of the Chairmen of Condominiums” touched upon the safe operation of the hazardous production facilities, as the lifts, the problems requiring sub-legislative regulation. He proposed to try finding the solution of the problem as a result of joint debates with the residents.

According to the First Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Kamo Areyan, the problem is topical and urgent. He has noted that the legislative and executive bodies and the local self-government bodies have a lot to do for the solution of the problems of the sphere.

The NA deputies and those responsible through Q & A touched upon the problems existing in the licensing process, the technical security provision and the control of the hazardous production facilities, holding of the check-ups complying with the international standards, the residents’ awareness on the technical examination of the lift, the possibility of the operation of the lift factory in the RA and the problems needing legal regulation. During the debates the Committee Chairman, underlining that the sphere is one of the important components for providing national security, raised the issue of the elaboration of the national strategy and the necessity of the action plan stemming from it, has highlighted the cooperation of responsible different structures in the context of the solution of the problems.

In the assessment of the RA Deputy Minister Emil Tarasyan, after the debates it has become clear that there are problems in the sphere, which relate to the lack of the awareness and non-distinct legislative regulations. He has informed that since 2016 new technical statute will enter into force with new demands and regulations.

Summing up the work of the parliamentary hearings, Koryun Nahapetyan has stated that the problems existing in the sphere are of all-national importance and are at the centre of attention of relevant organizations. Mr Nahapetyan has noted that the level of public awareness is low on the problems of providing security. He has noted that the Committee will sum up the results of the debate and will submit to the government for organizing one more debate on the problem.