YEREVAN. - Proceeding from the requirements of the draft 2017 State Budget, the program of the Armenian Diaspora Ministry can be divided into seven directions.  

Armenian Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan stated the aforementioned on Friday during the parliamentary hearings on draft 2017 State Budget.

In her words, the Diaspora Ministry will implement 25 programs. “The first direction apparently concerns the preservation of the Armenian identity, this first of all including the Armenian language, culture, education and faith. The projects relate to accelerated teaching of Armenian, TV school in Armenian, re-training of teachers, as well as providing 1004 schools with textbooks,” Hakobyan said.

The second group of issues concerns the youth, specifically knowing of the homeland, organization of vacation in Armenia, “Come home” program and establishment of youth organizations, she noted. “The third group of issues concerns the regions: we are implementing separate programs, one of which relates to the near Diaspora, while the second one – to the Latin American and U.S. and Australia. The third program has to do with the Eurasian Economic Union territory.

The fourth group of issues relates to revealing the potential of our compatriots. Here we provide for the Single Window principles in order to support starting business in our country,” the Minister stressed.

According to her, the fifth group of issues touches on the programs aimed at integrating Syrian Armenians. “The economic integration of Syrian Armenians and issues with apartments still continue to remain problems. Of course, nobody in left out in the street: We solve the issues related to the rent of nearly 600-1000 Syrian Armenians. We are trying to find jobs for them and help them to develop business programs and get concessional loans,” Hakobyan noted.

The sixth group of issues relates to television and work with the Diaspora via high technologies. “We have a website, newspaper and e-library. We also use satellite television. The seventh group of issues apparently touches on the Armenian cause. Obviously, part of the Armenian cause has to do with the Karabakh issue and its peaceful resolution,” Hakobyan noted, stressing that each Armenian should think of how to be useful to Nagorno-Karabakh.