Armenian Diaspora causes both anguish and pride for Armenia, Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan stated in an interview with ‘Echo’ of Moscow.

"The Armenian Diaspora is two times the size of the population in Armenia. We are proud of our Diaspora in Russia, the United States, France, Canada and other regions. Most of all, we are proud of the people`s achievements. They were able to integrate into these societies and have become famous in arts, science and business. We are proud of that. On the other hand, we regret that these people do not live in Armenia. They have great potential. In the hardest times the famous people of our Diaspora stood beside us," the Armenian leader said. He pointed out that using even 10% of the Armenian Diaspora`s potential would make Armenia one of the most prosperous states in the world.

"We are not succeeding yet. Our goal is that all Armenians residing in other countries be law-abiding citizens. They are our ambassadors. In many cases their behavior is a decisive factor in judging the Armenian people. Every time I make trips abroad, I meet with them and tell them that a good Armenian for me is a law-abiding citizen of a particular country," President Sargsyan said.

"Of course, there are problems of identity, language and traditions. There are very many mixed marriages. On the other hand, Armenians are not people isolating themselves from society. They would never have any achievements if they did. We want them to preserve their Armenian identity," Serzh Sargsyan said.