291 MILLION DRAMS TO BE ALLOCATED TO RA MINISTRY OF DIASPORA BY 2009 DRAFT STATE BUDGET
Noyan Tapan
Oct 29, 2008
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The 2009 draft state budget envisages
about 291 mln drams for the maintenance of the newly-created Ministry
of the Diaspora, and about 100 million drams for the implementation
of programs.
51.5 mln drams out of the sum envisaged for programs will be used
to implement measures on Armenia-Diaspora cooperation and to assist
with educational, cultural and youth programs and the activities of
Diasporan educational and cultural institutions, as well as to raise
the quality of education.
The RA first deputy minister of finance Pavel Safarian stated at the
October 28 joint sitting of the National Assembly standing committees
that the ministry was formed on October 1, 2009 when the draft budget
had already been submitted to the parliament so it is necessary to
discuss jointly the problems of financing the ministry’s programs.
In the words of the minister of the Diaspora Hranush Hakobian, the
major mission of the ministry is coordinate the activities of the
executive power bodies in the field of Armenia-Diaspora cooperation,
so the sums envisaged by the state budget for this purpose are actually
small. At the same time she announced that an agreement was reached
with the president and the prime minister of Armenia to finance a
number of programs from certain foundations – in addition to using
state budgetary allocations. Out of the projects to be carried out
soon, the minister pointed out "Ari Tun" project, under which it is
envisaged bringing boys and girls aged 15-25 to Armenia.
Only civil servants may work in the system so steps are being taken
to involve Diasporan Armenians in the work of the ministry on a
contractual basis. H. Hakobian said that an agreement has already been
signed with the UN and a contest has been announced for involvement
of Diasporan Armenians in the ministry’s activity. She informed those
present that a conference will be held in December in order to analyse
the lessons of the 1946-1948 repatriation and develop a repatriation
program in the near future.