‘ARMENIAN IMMIGRANTS HAVE TO BE RETURNED TODAY OTHERWISE IT WILL BE TOO LATE’
By Ruzan Poghosian

AZG Armenian Daily
18/05/2006

Ara Abrahamian Assures

On May 16, Ara Abrahamian, chairman of the World Armenian Congress
and the Union of Armenians of Russia, answered journalists’
question on a number of political and economic issues. In the
present stage, Mr. Abrahamian thinks, it’s urgent that we create
a national program and ideology that will broaden perspectives for
stronger Armenia-Diaspora ties. To achieve this goal the WAC keeps
on expanding to Armenian communities worldwide and plans to set up a
representation for the Western-Armenians. In his words, that is the
only way to organize repatriation.

“Economic development, clean-cut Armenia-Diaspora relations
and creation of necessary mechanisms are vital for the state’s
existence. Working hand in hand with the Diaspora we have to create
conditions and workplaces for the people hunting jobs abroad to
return. We need to start it now otherwise it will be too late as they
will have time to integrate into foreign cultures,” Ara Abrahamian
said.

Commenting on recent inner political developments, particularly the
withdrawal of Orinats Yerkir Party from coalition, Mr. Abrahamian said:
“My assessment is negative as far as I am aware of this incident. Yet,
every political party and authority makes his own decisions; we need
to wait and see what will come next. It’s not good that the coalition
may collapse and that a party can fall down in an overnight. Time
will show who was right and who was wrong,” Ara Abrahamian said.

He thinks it’s untimely to speak of his structure’s participation in
the parliamentary elections 2007.

It’s up to the Union of Armenians of Russia to decide the format and
extent of participation taking into account the legislation of Armenia
and Russia. “We will try not to break the political calm,” he said.