The Public Radio of Armenia has undertaken to improve its Overseas Service with a view of paying greater attention to the problems of ethnic minorities, their religious and cultural peculiarities.

Kurds are  one of the largest compactly living ethnic minorities in Armenia. Representatives of the Kurdish community were hosted at the Public Radio of Armenia today to present their views and proposals on the format and content of the Kurdish-language programs.

Kurds have always had the best opportunities in Armenia for launching activity in the scientific-education and cultural spheres, and the Public Radio of Armenia has always been an important platform.

Knyaz Hasanov, President of the Kurdish National Council of Armenia, hailed the role of Public Radio of Armenia in the preservation of the Kurdish language and culture.

“More than 40 million Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran listen to the Kurdish-language programs of the Public Radio of Armenia, which have played an extremely important role in the preservation of our language and culture. The Public Radio of Armenia was the first place Diyarbakir’s Mayor Osman Baydemir visited during his stay in Armenia last year,” the leader he said.

“The Kurdish community of Armenia has always valued the work we are doing, but it’s high time to improve the Kurdish Service and give it a new breath,” says Gayane Gasparyan, Head of the Overseas Service of the Public Radio.

Representatives of the Kurdish community want the programs to last 90 minutes instead of the current 30 and want greater access to the recordings of Kurdish songs kept in Public Radio’s ‘Golden Fund.’

In response to the request, Public Radio’s Executive Director Arman Saghatelyan noted that “international broadcasting envisages a serious financial burden, and extension of the program is a serious issue,” but pledged to find other mechanisms to meet the demands of the Kurdish-speaking listeners.

As for the access to the recordings, the Directors said “they could be released on CDs.”

Attending the event was Aram Ananyan, head of the Armenpress News Agency. Speaking to “Radiolur” news program, he stressed the importance of such meetings and discussions with representatives of the national minorities.