DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER: ARMENIA CAN’T BE STRONG WITHOUT DIASPORA

ARKA
Sep 5, 2011

YEREVAN, September 5. /ARKA/. There can’t be a strong Armenia without
strong Armenian communities abroad, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister
Sergey Manasaryan said Thursday in his meeting with students and
professors at the State Pedagogical University after Abovyan.

He said very few countries have the ministry of Diaspora in their
state system.

“This (presence of the Diaspora ministry in Armenia’s stat system –
ARKA) shows that we view the Diaspora’s problems among Armenia’s
problems,” he said.

The deputy minister said that the Diaspora for Armenia is a peculiar
bridge that connects the republic with the world, international
organizations and other cultures and civilizations.

He said that sometimes one can be surprised by meeting Armenian
communities in exotic countries.

“For example, I’ve met an Armenian community in Sudan,” he said.

“There is an Armenian school in downtown Khartoum – 90% of this
school’s students are colored, but they call themselves Armenians,
speak Armenian excellently and are proud of that.

Manasaryan stressed that color of skin and religion are absolutely
not significant – important is that they consider themselves Armenians
and feel Armenians.

According to the Diaspora ministry’s data, 7 million Armenians live
outside of Armenia and 33,000 Armenian organizations function abroad.

The largest Armenian communities are in Russia, the United States,
France and Georgia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress