PARTICIPANTS OF ARMENIA-DIASPORA CONFERENCE ENVISION FUTURE
Panorama.am
14:52 20/09/06
The participants of Armenia-Diaspora Forum tried to envision Armenia
and Diaspora in the year 2020.
Everybody was optimistic in the visions but everyone also agreed that
serious steps must be taken to accomplish the tasks.
Chairman of Constitutional Court, Gagik Harutunyan, said that a
pan-Armenian board should be established comprising Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh with their statehoods and a representation from
Diaspora. An open vote among participants supported this idea. Fewer
people backed the idea of a ministry as a coordinating unit between
Armenia and Diaspora.
Tom Samuelyan, representative of the American University of Armenia,
envisioned that the Armenian genocide would be recognized and Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settled as well as the task of unified language
accomplished by the year 2020. It may be possible that Turkey also
hands over our ancient land.
We will have developed economy, thousands of citizens with double
citizenship, Samuelyan thinks.
The editor-in-chief of Turkey based Akos weekly, Hrant Dink, also
thinks that the genocide will be recognized by 2020. Moreover, he
believes that most states must take their share of responsibility
for the tragedy.
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan said, "We must have expectations
but should also be realistic." In his words, despite of limited
opportunities, the blockade and the war, Armenia manages to compete
with its neighbors and even wins the competition. The foreign
minister said our challenge should be to give our sons and daughters
a democratic, stable and developed state that will be able to face
competition.
"If Artsakh, Armenia and Diaspora unite, you will see we will
accomplish wonders. I am sure the 21st century will be ours," Oskanyan
summed up.