MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
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PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT

375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202

Fax: +3741. .562543

Email: press@mfa.am:

PRESS RELEASE

28 July 2004

Foreign Minister Oskanian Receives Representatives of Land and Culture

Twenty young people from all over the world who have volunteered to
serve with the Land and Culture organization visited the Ministry
yesterday.

After a brief tour of the Ministry, the Land and Culture volunteers
(of whom there are 75 this year, from Canada, France,Georgia, India,
Lebanon, Iran) were led into the office of the Foreign Minister.

Minister Oskanian commended the patriotic mission of the organization
and stressed the importance of sustainability of their endeavors. He
stressed that the best way to contribute to the development of a
national culture is to sustain close ties with historical
motherland. Minister Oskanian welcomed programs like Land and Culture
and other youth programs which offer young Diaspora Armenians a chance
to live and work in Armenia, as interns or volunteers.

During the meeting, Minister Oskanian responded to questions and
briefly commented on aspects of Armenia’s foreign relations, its
relations with neighbour countries and key players in the region, the
status of the Karabakh conflict resolution process, and
Armenia-Diaspora relations.

Land and Culture was founded in 1977 by a group of young French
Armenians. Subsequently, the organisation established branches in the
USA, UK, Armenia and other countries. Land and Culture started to work
in Armenia a year after the Gyumri earthquake of 1988.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress