On June 15, the solemn opening ceremony of the first stage of the 2015 “Ari Tun” Program of the RA Ministry of Diaspora for Diaspora Armenian youth’s homeland recognition was held with the participation of RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, as well as representatives of the districts and corresponding agencies of Yerevan.

There are 58 young Diaspora Armenians participating in the first stage, of which 38 are Syrian-Armenians residing in Armenia and another 20 are 13-18-year-old boys and girls from the Russian Federation, Belarus, Turkmenistan and the USA.

About 1,100 young Diaspora Armenians will be visiting the Homeland through the 2015 “Ari Tun” Program. The program will be held in eight stages (14 June-29 August) and will include a four-day camping event in Tsaghkadzor.

In 2014, 1,071 Diaspora Armenian children and youth and 200 children and youth of Armenia participated in the camping event. The highlight of last year’s program was the visit of a 50-member group of Armenians from Diyarbakir (Turkey). This year, another 50 Islamized Armenians of Dersim will be participating in the “Ari Tun” Program.

“This year marks the seventh year that the RA Ministry of Diaspora has been organizing the cognitive visits of young Diaspora Armenians to the Homeland. Throughout the past seven years, thousands of young Armenians have visited Armenia, recognized the country, grown to love the Mother Homeland and have become connected. Many of them have continued their studies in the Homeland, families have paid heed to their children’s calls and have spent their vacation in Armenia, and dozens of other youth have started families. Dear children, what you will feel and experience in the Homeland will be incredible and irreplaceable,” RA Minister of Diaspora mentioned in her welcome speech.

Minister Hranush Hakobyan attached importance to the support of various government agencies, as well as regional and community organizations to the implementation of the “Ari Tun” Program.

“I respect all the families of Armenia that are cordially hosting our children and youth,” the RA Minister of Diaspora emphasized, adding: “We must take special care of the Syrian-Armenian children who have temporarily left Syria due to the state of war and have decided to spend their vacation in our peaceful country.”

The RA Minister of Diaspora declared the launch of the program and, according to tradition, dressed the youngest participant, 13-year-old Raymond Nazaryan (Russian Federation) in the shirt and hat with the logo of the “Ari Tun” Program and gave him a bag with the logo on it.

The participants watched a film about the “Ari Tun” Program and were greeted with performances by members of the Mesrop Mashtots Speech Culture Center, singer Betty, who represented Armenia at the 2014 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, and others.

Afterwards, the participants of the program were introduced to the members of the task force who will be escorting and taking care of the participants for the next two weeks.