MANUKYAN SAYS THIS WAS 4TH ARMENIA-DIASPORA MEETING

Panorama.am
16:07 22/09/06

NA deputy Vazgen Manukyan said everybody forget that in fact the first
Armenia-Diaspora meeting was held in 1991 when business community
from Diaspora was invited to Armenia while Manukyan served as a
prime minister.

Manukyan said they had plans to open an Armenian bank in Paris with
5% of starting capital from the Armenian government and 95% from the
Diaspora. This bank never opened, Manukyan said.

Manukyan has no high hopes with the poverty alleviation program in
rural communities because he says no clear-cut programs are proposed
and supervision mechanisms are not in place. "First of all the state
must not be corrupt so that people make financial assistance," he said.

Deputy of National Assembly, Khachatur Sukiasyan, also agreed with
Vazgen Manukyan. He said Armenia should become attractive for the
Diaspora. /Panorama.am/