RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan received director of Ireland’s Diaspora Matters Ltd and leading international expert Kingsley Aikins.

Greeting the guest, the minister expressed gratitude to the Irish government for properly receiving the Armenian delegates who were in Ireland in October 2015 with the purpose of studying the Irish experience in engaging the Diaspora’s potential for the advancement of the homeland (among the delegates was Advisor to the RA Minister of Diaspora Stepan Petrosyan). The minister attached importance to the conference that will be hosted in Yerevan within the scope of the EU-funded Social Reaction to Labor Migration Program on 3 February and where innovative approaches to the engagement of the Diaspora will be discussed.

Hranush Hakobyan expressed her appreciation to Kingsley Aikins for giving a lecture on Ireland’s strategy on, mechanisms for, experience in and paths to success in Diaspora engagement for the staff of the Ministry of Diaspora and expressed confidence that there would also be a constructive discussion and a question-and-answer session that would help master the Irish experience effectively.

Expressing gratitude for the cordial reception, Kingsley Aikins talked about the unique format for engagement of the Irish Diaspora in the development of the country. The expert mentioned that, in Armenia’s case, this bilateral approach to Diaspora engagement requires a revision of the work that is being done with the Diaspora.