The Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia, in association with journalists, has undertaken the initiative of declaring the year 2017 as the Year of Artsakh. This is what RA Deputy Minister of Diaspora Serzh Srapionyan said during a January 13 press conference.

“On 22-24 October 2016, the RA Ministry of Diaspora held the 8^th Pan-Armenian Forum of Journalists in Artsakh. During the forum, the attending journalists visited military units where they were introduced to the soldiers’ living conditions and came up with the idea of launching a movement devoted to Artsakh,” Srapionyan stated.

The Deputy Minister particularly emphasized that the objective of each and every Armenian must be to make Artsakh strong physically, morally and psychologically. According to the Deputy Minister, the “What are YOU doing for Karabakh?” pan-Armenian movement implies consolidation for Artsakh and further responsibility.

He also informed that the movement met the expectations in that many Armenians of Armenia and abroad are contacting the RA Ministry of Diaspora to do anything they can to help Artsakh.

Srapionyan brought up the example of the letters that well-known Armenian businessmen have been sending to the RA Ministry of Diaspora asking what kind of investments they can make in Artsakh and in which sectors. The Ministry of Diaspora has been forwarding those letters to the RA Ministry of Economic Development and Investments, which is in charge of coordinating such inquiries.

In addition, within the frames of the movement, in June 2017, Artsakh will host the “For You, Artsakh” Festival, which will gather various Armenian choirs from different countries around the world.

Serzh Srapionyan informed that 25 tons of humanitarian assistance of the Armenian community of Baden-Württemberg will be sent to Artsakh on the sidelines of the pan-Armenian movement. Srapionyan particularly noted 80-year-old Siran Misagian, who lives in the Jrashen village of Armavir Province and sends packages to Armenian servicemen through the Ministry of Diaspora every month.

At the end, Srapionyan added that Armenian communities of the United States and Europe have already joined the movement.

Source: aysor.am