Zareh Sinanyan Summarizes First Day of Moscow Visit

During his working visit to the Russian Federation, the Chief Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs, Zareh Sinanyan, met with Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenkov. Welcoming the Commissioner, Rudenkov remarked that the bilateral relations between Armenia and Russia are strengthening and that there are significant prospects and progress in the spheres of politics, inter-parliamentary cooperation, economics, culture, and international collaboration.

The Deputy Foreign Minister noted that according to some estimates, over 2.5 million Armenians live in Russia, and the community makes significant contributions to the country's development in various fields ranging from business to healthcare. He also expressed his readiness to continue actively working with the Armenian community across various directions.

Thanking for the hospitality, Zareh Sinanyan mentioned that this is his third visit to Russia, where the Armenian community is large, diverse, and multi-layered, holding significant importance for Armenia as a strategic partner state, also positively contributing to the strengthening of friendly relations between the two countries.

The Chief Commissioner emphasized that Armenians in Russia are fully integrated into almost all sectors of public life and are at the same time strongly linked to their homeland. He then presented the current directions of Armenia-Diaspora cooperation, focusing on the main emphases in working with the Armenian diaspora, specifically regarding collaboration with Armenian community structures in Russia.

Sinanyan highlighted the importance of steps being undertaken to organize the repatriation process, the issue of adopting the relevant laws, and the creation of a comprehensive package offered to repatriates. Considering the traditional and systematic experience of cooperation with the Armenian diaspora, the Russian side proposed initiating an exchange of experiences and consultations.

The Chief Commissioner welcomed this proposal and noted that the Office of the Chief Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs is always ready for such collaborations and would happily share its experiences that currently contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of Armenia-Diaspora relations.

The parties also addressed the issue of teaching the Armenian language in Russia and increasing class hours, reaching an agreement to continue the dialogue in this direction. Following this, the Chief Commissioner visited an Armenian church complex and met with representatives of educational and church institutions associated with the church, as well as members of the Coordinating Council of Russian-Armenian organizations and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation's Moscow committee.

The Commissioner stated that he is always pleased to discuss the current state of Armenia-Diaspora relations and the expected outcomes. He then presented recent events in the diaspora over the past few months, particularly addressing the situation of Armenian communities in the Middle East.

Sinanyan discussed the formation of the office, personnel policies being pursued, and programs for 2020, ranging from mapping the national potential to involving the best specialists from the diaspora in Armenia's public administration system. He also hinted at the pan-Armenian conference being held this year, where future agenda items will be discussed with the Armenian diaspora.

The Commissioner briefly summarized the programs from the previous year and the outcomes of familiarization visits. The meeting then continued in a Q&A format for two hours, during which attendees asked questions about cultural programs, judicial reforms being implemented in Armenia, the broader involvement of the diaspora in the country's life, obstacles in the repatriation process, military service, combating anti-Armenian propaganda, and delays in delivering textbooks to diaspora schools.

Questions were raised regarding the formation of the diaspora council, to which Zareh Sinanyan emphasized that this issue will also be on the agenda of the upcoming conference. Attendees were interested in whether the Commissioner would have representatives in various diaspora communities. According to the Chief Commissioner, it is not ruled out that this format will be implemented in large Armenian communities.

Zareh Sinanyan also visited the "Proektspo 2020" international exhibition, touring the Armenian pavilion where 23 companies are showcasing Armenian products over five days.