Expert: Western Armenian preservation is at risk

YEREVAN. – Diaspora Armenians speak Armenian increasingly less, and in this regard, the preservation of Western Armenian is at risk.

Head of the State Language Inspectorate of Armenia, Sergo Yeritsyan, noted the above-said at a press conference on Saturday.

“Only 10 percent of the Armenians speak Armenian in quite Armenian-populated France,” he added. “[But] the percentage of communicating in Armenian is higher in the Near and Middle East than in European countries, since Armenian communities are smaller in these countries.”

In 1999, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared February 21 as International Mother Language Day, and  to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.