The Diaspora Disappointed with the Armenia Project: Vahram Mirakyan Elaborates

The diaspora is disappointed with the Armenia Project. Unfortunately, we have a very consumerist approach towards the diaspora, using their emotional attachment to the homeland while constantly wanting something in return. Any relationship is formed through points of contact. Currently, the situation has developed such that it is easier to establish new connections than to restore the trust that has been misused in the past,” stated Vahram Mirakyan, co-founder of the Manthasyants Businessmen's Union, during the 13th meeting of the union's members.

Mirakyan also mentioned that this opinion was reinforced during a recent visit to the USA, where he had the opportunity to communicate more closely with our compatriots engaged in business abroad.

“For instance, we are in contact with an employee of Company X, who, in this case, is our point of contact through which we form an opinion about that organization. Perhaps the founder of that company is quite a positive person, but if the employee provides poor service, a negative impression of the company is formed. This is quite similar to the Armenia-Diaspora relationships. The Republic of Armenia also has points of contact with the diaspora. When we see through which points of contact we interact with the diaspora, the reasons for this disappointment become clear. We always want something—and mostly, it's money. We shouldn't approach the diaspora with the slogan of 'help this or that.' If a person is disappointed, restoring trust will be very difficult and lengthy. It is quite a challenging task, but it needs to be done,” noted Mirakyan.

Speaking about the interactions among businessmen within the club, collaboration, and effectiveness, Mirakyan said that there are hundreds of examples of how club members have multiplied their business turnover several times as a result of cooperating with each other.

It should be noted that Yerevan's mayor, Hratchya Sargsyan, was also present at the event, who presented the existing issues in the city and listened to the businesspeople regarding the problems they face in connection with the municipal authorities.

The mayor discussed the current issues in Yerevan, including the need for refurbishment of metro stations, the migration of dogs from nearby regions to the capital, and changes in the transportation system.