ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Nov 30 2007

Premier: ministry on problems of all Armenians in world to be set up
in Armenia in 2008

YEREVAN, November 30. /ARKA/. A ministry on problems of all Armenians
in the world is to be set up in Armenia in 2008, Armenia’s
Prime-Minister Serge Sargsian said at his meeting with journalists of
CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and Baltic countries.

`Speaking of our wealth we mean, first of all, the human resources.
Speaking of human resources we have in mind not only citizens of
Armenia, but all Armenians,’ Sargsian said at the meeting broadcasted
on the Public Television of Armenia.

According to the Prime-Minister, it is serious potential and all
efforts should be made so that `we have strong diaspora helping us
become a strong country’. He pointed out the necessity to do
everything to ensure Armenians abroad do not lose their distinctive
character.

`I don’t know is it good or bad but one of the peculiar features of
our countrymen abroad is that they consider themselves, first of all,
citizens of the given country and only after then Armenians. I
believe it should be like that: that is why they integrate themselves
in the society easily which is one of the main guarantees of
successful business and public service,’ Sargsian said.

`We should help our countrymen remain Armenians, while being
law-abiding citizens of Russia, USA, and France. Here is our
strength. Armenia with its territory and a three-million population
is one country and Armenia with seven-million diaspora is a
completely different country,’ the Prime-Minister said.-0–