CONGRESS OF UNION OF RUSSIA’S ARMENIANS OPENS IN MOSCOW

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 25 2006

MOSCOW, May 25 (Itar-Tass) – The third congress of the All-Russia
public organization Union of Armenians of Russia has opened at
President-Hotel in Moscow on Thursday. Three hundred delegates from
different corners of the country participate in the congress.

According to ambassador of Armenia to Russia Armen Smbayan,
“remarkable is not the very meeting of today, but the fact that
the Union is the most successfully functioning and really acting
organization.” “Five years have already past since the time of its
foundation,” the diplomat recalled. “Over this time we have managed
to prove that the Union of Armenians plays an important role both in
Russia and at the international level.”

According to different estimates, from 10 to 12 million Armenians
are living in more than 70 countries of the world. The most numerous
diaspora of Armenians beyond Armenia is in Russia – some 2.5 million
people. Armenians have been living in the Russian land since ninth
century. Comprising a part of multinational Russian society, they are
making a great contribution in the development of Russian science,
culture and industry.

To bring numerous Armenian communities together and make them a real
political and economic force, it was decided to create a public
organization – Union of Armenians of Russia. Big businessman
and philanthropist Ara Abramyan was the initiator of the union’s
creation. At present he is the president of the organization. Vice
speaker of the State Duma Arthur Chilingarov and political scientist
Andranik Migranyan were also among the initiators.