On May 22, the Advisory Board under the RA Minister of Diaspora held a subsequent session at the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

There were four items on the agenda. Head of the Department of Repatriation and Research Grigor Arshakyan delivered a report on the science and education research conducted by the order of the RA Ministry of Diaspora in 2014. Talking about the Department’s functions, the speaker attached importance to the study of the issues facing Armenian communities of the Armenian Diaspora and the issues of pan-Armenian significance. He mentioned that the RA Ministry of Diaspora gives orders for theme-based studies to different institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan State University, Noravank Scientific and Educational Foundation and other scientific institutions every year with the purpose of conducting professional research on sector-related issues. The speaker presented in detail the activities carried out in the reporting period and touched upon the continuation of studies. Arshakyan mentioned that the studies provide the opportunity to approximate Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian languages, as well as record the potential of centers for Armenian studies. In closing, the speaker mentioned that the 12 studies conducted last year are favorably different in terms of quality, results and the possibilities of application.

Chief of Staff of the RA Ministry of Diaspora Firdus Zakaryan delivered a report on the preparations for the 2015 “Ari Tun” Program for the homeland recognition of Diaspora Armenian youth and mentioned that the program has been carried out for the past seven years. Like previous years, 1,100 young Diaspora Armenians will be visiting Armenia this year for two weeks. There is already an inter-agency commission on coordination, as well as an inter-agency task force and a task force set up by the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

On May 18, Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan and RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan moderated a working meeting at Yerevan Municipality. The RA Ministry of Diaspora is working with the districts of Yerevan and the provinces near Yerevan (Ararat, Armavir, Aragatsotn and Kotayk Provinces) to register host families. Families in 40 districts of Yerevan have already given their consent.

The booklet-handbook for the 2015 “Ari Tun” Program has already been drafted, as well as approved and translated into Russian and English. The 2015 “Ari Tun” Program will be carried out in 8 stages (14 June-29 August). On 21 May 2015, the organizers received 102 applications from 11 countries, including the Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, Lebanon and the USA. The organizers expect to receive 40-50 Armenians of Dersim this year as well. There will also be 200-220 young Armenians from different countries (Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, France, Cyprus, the USA and Canada) who will also be participating in the “Ari Tun” Program within the framework of the youth meeting to be hosted by the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party in Yerevan.

Head of the Department of Pan-Armenian, International and Ecclesiastical Programs Kamo Sargsyan delivered a report on the publication of the “Armenian Diaspora-2014” Yearbook. Sargsyan mentioned that the Department was working on the publication of the 6^th Yearbook, which will properly shed light on and present the large-scale activities carried out by political and non-governmental organizations (religious organizations, benevolent organizations, foundations, cultural and educational organizations), political parties, chairs of and centers for Armenian studies, youth, women’s and athletic unions, libraries, professional and compatriotic unions, well-known Diaspora Armenians and individual benefactors for the preservation of the Armenian identity and the development of the Armenia-Diaspora partnership.

The “Armenian Diaspora 2014” Yearbook will be published in the Eastern Armenian-Russian and Western Armenian-English versions.

To this day, nearly 6,000 copies of the Yearbook have been sent to more than 600 addressees in the Armenian Diaspora. The Yearbook serves as rich material devoted to the relations between the Homeland and the Armenian Diaspora.

Head of the Department of Armenian Communities of Europe Hrach Aslanyan delivered a report on the activities carried out by the Department over the past year and touched upon the activities that the Department carried out during the events held in Armenia and in Armenian communities of Europe at the initiative and with the support of the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

Summing up the session, Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan said she was content with the work that had been done over the past year and attached importance to the close ties and cooperation with all Armenian communities of the Armenian Diaspora, particularly the Armenian communities in Europe, as well as the organized and coordinated activities of the departments of the RA Ministry of Diaspora aimed at ensuring those communities’ active participation in the programs of the RA Ministry of Diaspora.