Why is Zareh Sinanyan Traveling to Russia with Gifts?

By the decision of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the Head of the State Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Zareh John Sinanyan, will travel to Russia. Sinanyan will be in the Russian Federation from February 24 to March 7, 2021, with the schedule including Moscow from February 24 to March 3, Tyumen from March 3 to 4, Chelyabinsk from March 4 to 5, and Yekaterinburg from March 5 to 7.

He will be accompanied by Liana Simonian, the head of the programs implementation and monitoring department of the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs.

The purpose of the visit, according to the decision published on the government’s website, is to meet with representatives of Armenian community organizations, business circles, cultural figures, and journalists in the post-war period and to discuss further cooperation paths.

The costs of Zareh Sinanyan’s and Liana Simonian’s travel, accommodation, and daily allowances will be covered by funds allocated for official trips outside the country under the “Armenia-Diaspora Cooperation” program of the Prime Minister's Office, specifically for the event titled “Work in Diaspora Communities.” However, the decision does not clarify what kind of souvenirs are mentioned and for whom they are intended.