Hayern Aysor presents Iravunk newspaper’s interview with RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan.

The newspaper’s correspondent talked to Hranush Hakobyan about Diaspora Armenians’ reactions to the large-scale attacks that Azerbaijan unleashed along the entire length of the Nagorno-Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, during which Azerbaijan bombed not only the military positions of the Armenian army, but also peaceful settlements. First, Hranush Hakobyan said that Armenians in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora have stood up.

Hranush Hakobyan: Diaspora Armenians stand united as one and are ready to provide material and financial assistance, as well as exert moral and political pressure on the authorities of their countries of residence to suppress this horrible aggression and solve the issue related to the right of Nagorno-Karabakh to self-determination through peaceful methods.

Iravunk: Taking into consideration the situation at hand, are there already Diaspora Armenians coming to the homeland?

H. H.: The Defense Army of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic declared that there have been Diaspora Armenians who have come. Generally speaking, many regions are registering volunteers. We simply ask everyone to not come yet. God willing, this ceasefire will turn into peace.

Iravunk: Let’s also touch upon the protests that Diaspora Armenians have organized in front of the embassies of Azerbaijan in different countries around the world.

H. H.: I must say that there have already been protests in London, Warsaw and France, and another protest will be held on 9 April. Large protests will also be held in Lebanon, Canada and elsewhere. I don’t believe you will find a country where there are no protests, demonstrations, petitions and other appropriate actions. Armenians consider this situation their situation and are trying to fight in the same way.

Iravunk: Another question about our compatriots from Syria. Don’t you think it would be right to grant them the status of a refugee, taking into consideration the fact that international organizations are distributing large amounts of money to countries like Turkey to keep the refugees?

H. H.: There is no status issue at all. They are all refugees. They are granted citizenship as a document that saves them, but that’s a different story. They lost all of their documents during the bombings, and the Armenians in Armenia, as their compatriots, can’t treat the Syrian-Armenians differently. So, that is not why we receive less assistance or don’t receive enough. It is because Armenia has managed to provide assistance to them in a coordinated manner. They have jobs, homes, food, have potential, receive an education and benefit from medical services that are specifically for them. I was recently at the UN House in New York, and I must say that the UN is completely informed about the activities that different countries carry out for the refugees, including Armenia. Moreover, the UN wishes to consider Armenia’s activities for the refugees as a model and show how refugees can come and benefit the given country, not the opposite. Many countries consider the arrival of refugees as a negative phenomenon and don’t believe they can benefit by using the refugees’ potential.

HRANT SARAFYAN