FOREIGN MINISTER OF RA AT THE UN CONFERENCE IN TORONTO, CANADA

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
October 20, 2006 Friday

Vardan Oskanyan, Foreign Minister of RA, took part in Toronto
conference on Diaspora’s role in building peace and development
organized by UN and University for Peace.

MFA Press Service told ArmInfo that Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa,
Head of the 61st Session of UN General Assembly, came out with
speech. Vardan Oskanyan in his speech told participants of the
conference about experience of Armenian Diaspora, activities of its
structures in different parts of the world. He made a historic excurse
of the Diaspora’s formation and spoke of its originality. They spoke
about Armenia-Diaspora relations. It was pointed out that Diaspora
supports Armenia in economical and political aspects by investments,
benevolence and money transfers.

As for political support, it is carried out in the main directions:
solution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, recognition of Armenian Genocide
in Ottoman Empire in 1915 and the problem of relations between Armenia
and Turkey. In the end Vardan Oskanyan met with representatives of
Armenian Diaspora in Canada. They discussed details of participation
of Armenian Diaspora and its representatives in the Agricultural
Regions Development Programs and other projects.