On September 15, 2008, to the sounds of the anthem, the opening of the sixth session of the National Assembly of the fourth convocation began, after which the Members of Parliament debated and approved the decisions of the National Assembly on the agendas of the four-day sittings and sixth session.

Before debating the agenda issues, Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, said that the MPs Mr. Raffi Hovhannisyan and Mr. Khachatur Sukiasyan had presented resignation applications. It was noted that according to Article 13 of the Law on the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, if the above-mentioned MPs do not withdraw their applications within 15 days after their submission, their authority as MPs is ended. The President of the National Assembly also said that Mr. Styopa Safaryan, was elected as head of the Heritage faction of the National Assembly. The MPs re-ratified the decision of the National Assembly on an establishment order of the Ad Hoc Accounting Committee of the National Assembly.

Mr. Suren Karayan, Deputy Minister of Finance of the Republic of Armenia, touched upon the amendments made in the legislative package before the voting of the legislative package for the first reading on Making Addendum to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Administrative Offences, on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Excise Tax, on Making Amendment to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Income Tax, on Making Amendments and Addendum to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Taxes and on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Value Added Tax.

After the speech of the Deputy Minister of Finance the voting took place and by a majority of 73 votes for, the Members of Parliament adopted for the first reading the above-mentioned legislative package. The bill on Making Addendum to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Scientific and Technological Activity was also adopted after the first reading.

Mr. Shirak Torosyan, the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly presented endorsements to the presented agreements.

Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia took the floor on the international treaty. He presented the features of the credit agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the Asian Development Bank on the promotion program for overcoming the crisis (special actions), signed on July 15, 2009. In particular he noted that Armenia must begin repayment of the loan from September 1, 2017 up to March 1, 2033, with a privileged period the republic of Armenia is obliged to pay 1%, and later – 1.5-1.6%. Mr. Abrahamyan highlighted the importance of the credit agreement, related to overcoming the crisis, signed on such favorable terms. At the same time, the President of the Parliament said that those funds should not be used for a program of development of banks, but were a major opportunity for economic development. According to Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan, in this particular case, when the Republic of Armenia guarantees the return of the credit means, the state should control and decide the percentage for the banks, which in his opinion should not exceed a reasonable 8-9%. The President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia believes that in this case the credits will serve for the recovery of a real part of the economy. In his speech Mr. Abrahamyan also highlighted the circumstance that there were proposals and speeches of the MPs in that connection, which called for the state to intervene in the issues of giving credits, in particular in percentages. According to Mr. Abrahamyan the state did its utmost for solving those issues, thus he expressed hope that the other MPs also promote and display active participation in the debate of that issue. Summing up his speech he argued the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia to ratify the presented treaty.

Mr. Ara Nazaryan, Deputy Minister of Defense, presented for the first reading the legislative package on Making Amendment to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia, on Making Addenda and Amendments to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Licensing, on Making Addendum to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Weapons and on Making Addendum to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on State Duty.

Mr. Hrayar Karapetyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs of the National Assembly presented the conclusion of the committee.

Mr. Ashot Musayan. Deputy Chairman of Cadastre State Committee of Real Estate adjunct to the Government of the Republic of Armenia, submitted for the first reading on Making Addenda and Amendments to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Administrative-Territorial Division of the Republic of Armenia.

Mr. Hovhannes Margaryan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Territorial Management and Local Self-Government of the National Assembly, presented the endorsement of the committee.

The Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs of the National Assembly endorsed the debated for the second reading legislative packages on Making Amendments to the Judicial Code of the Republic of Armenia, on Making Amendments to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on

on Prosecutor's Office, on Making Amendments to the Customs Code of the Republic of Armenia and on Making Amendments to the Civil Code of the Republic of Armenia.

Mr. Armen Alavardyan, Deputy Head of the State Tax Service adjunct to the Government of the Republic of Armenia, presented the debated package of the bills, for the first reading, onMaking Amendment and Addenda to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Taxes,on Making Addendum and Amendment to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Mandatory Payments of Social Safety, onMakingAddendum to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Obligatory Payments for Regulating the Public Services and onMaking Amendment to the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Property and IncomeRegistrationof Physical Persons.

Ms. Naghdalyan, member of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs of the National Assembly, presented the endorsement of the committee.

According to the Law on Rules of the Procedure of the National Assembly, the last hour of the last setting was allotted to the statements of the MPs.

The parliament will continue the work of the four-day sittings on September 16.