The Law of the Republic of Armenia on Language
The present Law shall establish the principal
tenets of the policy on language of the Republic of Armenia,
shall govern a status of language, language relations between
bodies of state authority and administration, enterprises,
institutions and organizations.
| Article 1. Policy on language of the Republic of Armenia
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The Armenian language which serves
all the spheres of life of the Republic shall be the
state language of the Republic of Armenia. The literary
Armenian language shall be the official language of
the Republic of Armenia.
The Republic of Armenia shall promote
preservation and dissemination of the Armenian language
among Armenians residing outside its borders.
The Republic of Armenia shall promote
unification of orthography of the Armenian language.
The Republic of Armenia on its territory
shall guarantee the free usage of languages of national
minorities.
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Article 2. Language of education |
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The literary Armenian
language shall be the language of teaching and education
in the educational and teaching systems on the territory
of the Republic of Armenia.
In communities of national minorities
in the Republic of Armenia the general education may
be organized in their native language in accordance
with the state program and with the state patronage
and compulsory teaching of the Armenian language.
On the territory of the Republic of
Armenia a specialized educational institution in a foreign
language may be established only by the Government of
the Republic of Armenia upon the agreement of the standing
committee on education, science, language and culture
of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Armenia.
The entrance examination on the Armenian
language and teaching of the Armenian language shall
be obligatory at all secondary specialized, vocational
and higher education institutions of the Republic of
Armenia. The entrance examinations and education for
repatriates, refugees, non-Armenians and aliens residing
on the territory of the Republic of Armenia shall be
organized in the manner established by the Government
of the Republic of Armenia.
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Article 3. Language obligations of citizens
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The officials and citizens
of the Republic of Armenia working in certain spheres
of service shall know the Armenian language.
The Armenian language shall be the
language of official statements of persons representing
the Republic of Armenia, if it does not contradict the
order accepted in that international institution.
In the official conversation citizens
of the Republic of Armenia shall be obliged to ensure
the purity of the language.
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Article 4. Language rights and obligations of institutions |
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The enterprises, institutions
and organizations located on the territory of the Republic
of Armenia shall communicate with state bodies, enterprises,
institutions, organizations and citizens of other countries
in a mutually acceptable language.
The state bodies, enterprises, institutions
and organizations of the Republic of Armenia shall be
obliged:
- to conduct the office work in the Armenian language;
- to ensure simultaneous translation of statements
in other languages into Armenian at congresses, sessions,
meetings, symposia, during public statements, official
and other public events;
- to design signboards, letterheads, labels, post
stamps, seals, international mail envelopes in the
Armenian language accompanied, where necessary, by
translation into other languages.
The foreign state bodies, enterprises,
institutions and organizations located on the territory
of the Republic of Armenia shall supply the documents
that are subject to the state control, with translation
into Armenian.
The organizations of national minorities
residing on the territory of the Republic of Armenia
shall design their documents, letterheads, seals in
the Armenian language with parallel translation into
their language.
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Article 5. Implementation of the state policy on language
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The Government of the
Republic of Armenia, local bodies of state authority
and administration as well as the duly authorized state
body shall implement the state policy on language in
accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.
The Republic of Armenia shall encourage
publications, press as well as preparation of textbooks,
training appliances, scientific, methodical, reference,
popular scientific literature in the Armenian language.
The legislation of the Republic of
Armenia shall establish responsibility for violation
of the requirements of the present Law.
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Republic of Armenia
President Levon Ter-Petrosyan
Adopted on April 17, 1993
Constitution of the Republic of Armenia
(Adopted on July 5, 1995)
(Document Status in January 1999)
Article 12
The state language of the Republic of Armenia is Armenian.
Article 15
Citizens, regardless of national origin, race, sex, language,
creed, political or other persuasion, social origin, wealth
or other status, are entitled to all the rights and freedoms,
and subject to the duties determined by the Constitution and
the laws.
Article 37
Citizens belonging to national minorities are entitled to
the preservation of their traditions and the development of
their language and culture.
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