HRANUSH HAKOBIAN CALLS GREEK ARMENIAN COMMUNITY FOR TAKING ACTIVE PART IN ALL-ARMENIAN EVENTS

NOYAN TAPAN
JULY 13, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On July 8, RA
Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobian received members of the ARFD
Greek Central Committee, Orofasma company representative Kevork
Kolanian, JH Biotech company marketing manager Vahan K. Bezdikian,
writer and translator Sargis Aghabatian.

Representatives of the Greek Armenian community informed the Minister
that Armenians migrating from Armenia joined the community in the
past years. It was mentioned that three Armenian schools work in the
Athens region, while there are none in the northern regions of Greece,
and children from thousands of Armenian families are deprived of the
possibility of learning the Armenian language. The way of solving the
problem is opening of one-day Armenian schools. Four one-day schools
already work in the northern regions of Greece, where teaching is
also done in Eastern Armenian. It is planned to open one more school
by September 1.

The list of textbooks Armenian schools of Greece need was introduced
to Minister H. Hakobian. They attached importance to RA government’s
solving the issue of transporting textbooks from Armenia to the
Diaspora in as efficient ways as possible.

According to the RA Ministry of Diaspora Press and Public Relations
Department, the Minister proposed introducing the list of the cities
and schools of Greece, where it is expedient to open one-day Armenian
schools or Armenian Language and History of Armenian People will
be taught at those schools. Besides, it was proposed making active
the preparatory work in Greece for All-Armenian Forums of Lawyers,
Bankers, and Financiers to be held in 2009 in Yerevan and to ensure
maximum participation of Greek Armenian specialists of the mentioned
spheres in those events.

Minister H. Hakobian also called for starting cooperation between the
Greek Armenian community and the Hayern Aysor electronic newspaper of
the RA Ministry of Diaspora, which will give a possibility to present
community’s organizations and prominent figures in the newspaper. She
expressed willingness for the community to take part in the Ministry’s
program Come Home in 2010. The Minister called the Greek Armenian
community for being represented to the maximum extent at the One
Nation, One Culture regular festival to be held in 2010 and said that
the Ministry undertakes steps for that event, unlike the past years,
to be held during the whole year.

Representatives of the Greek Armenian community assured that they will
do their best to support implementation of the programs H. Hakobian
mentioned.

Touching upon community’s cultural initiatives, the guests said that T.

Altunian state ensemble of song and dance will perform concerts in
November in Greece and A. Spendiarian’s Anush opera is planned to
be staged at Athens Opera Theater in 2010 May with participation of
Armenian musicians.

Minister H. Hakobian added that legislative solutions of giving
certain powers to the authoritative Diasporan organizations should be
found. These powers regard granting proper guarantee certificate to
Diasporan Armenians who want to be granted citizenship of Armenia,
but have no document certifying their being Armenian, to those who
wish to adopt a child in Armenia, and other issues. In H. Hakobian’s
opinion, giving such powers to Diasporan organizations will contribute
to strengthening of Diasporan Armenian-Diasporan organization-Armenia
contacts.