I’m preparing to introduce a bill on the Western Armenian language. This is what Deputy of the My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Narine Tokhikyan (Khachaturyan) told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“The UNESCO has declared Western Armenian as an endangered language. I believe Armenia is the guarantor of the preservation and dissemination of Western Armenian, not the Diaspora. We have a state, the duty of which is to protect cultural treasures, and language is the greatest and most precious treasure. Now we use Eastern Armenian and preserve it, but Western Armenian is used by Armenians abroad. Of course, many Armenians came to Armenia after the wars in Iraq and Syria, but they speak Eastern Armenian more than Western Armenian,” she said.

The MP stressed the fact that clear-cut legislative regulations can serve as a mechanism for state protection of Western Armenian. “One of the mechanisms is teaching. Western Armenian must be taught in Armenia’s schools as a subject, and every Armenian needs to know Western Armenian.”

She added that there is wonderful literature in Western Armenian that Armenians must not lose. “Let’s not forget that there are wonderful books in Western Armenian. If we Armenians lose those books, we will also lose the opportunity of enjoying that literature.’

The MP concluded by mentioning that she doesn’t know if she will introduce a bill or make a recommendation to make amendments to the existing law.