On February 17, the Ministry of Diaspora of the Republic of Armenia held a teleconference with representatives of the Armenian community of Austria. Among the participants from Armenia were Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, Deputy Minister Vahagn Melikyan, Advisor to the Minister Karen Galoyan, Head of the Department for Armenian Communities of Europe Karen Avanesyan, Head of the Department of Information and Telecommunication Vaghinak Vardanyan, Director of the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival Eduard Yesayants and other employees of the Ministry.

Among the representatives of the Armenian community of Austria were chairman of the council of the Armenian Apostolic Church Community of Austria Vahagn Amirjanian, vice-chairman Eduard Frangulyan, Vice-Principal of Hovhannes Shiraz Armenian School Marine Sadoyan and members of the council.

Greeting the participants of the teleconference, Minister Hranush Hakobyan attached special importance to the joint celebrations of the 100^th anniversary of the First Republic of Armenia and the May Heroic Battles and the 2,800^th anniversary of Yerevan, proper holding of the All-European Games and active participation of the representatives of the community in the Ministry’s programs. The Minister stated that the Ministry will be holding the pan-Armenian forums of journalists and architects and the pan-Armenian youth forum, which are aimed at strengthening the bonds between Armenia and the Diaspora and within the Diaspora, helping Armenians of Armenia and the Diaspora get to know each other and enhancing their cooperation. The Minister urged the representatives of the community to create professional associations and join pan-Armenian professional networks. “Today, out of the numerous issues discussed during the 6^th Armenia-Diaspora Pan-Armenian Conference, I would like to distinguish two issues, that is, the organizing of repatriation and the program for support to borderline villages that the Ministry of Diaspora launched last year. I fully hope the community makes efforts in these two directions. I am also glad that the members of the community have started discussing pan-Armenian issues together,” Minister Hranush Hakobyan stated.

Chairman of the board of the Armenian Apostolic Church Community of Austria Vahagn Amirjanian informed that the Armenian community closely collaborates with Armenian associations of Austria and that the community and the associations are preparing to celebrate the anniversaries of the First Republic of Armenia and Yerevan together. He also touched upon the lack of textbooks for Armenian one-day schools and the lack of textbooks in the format of “Armenian as a Foreign Language”. In regard to that, Minister Hranush Hakobyan stated that the Ministry would solve these issues with the Ministry of Education and Science and the National Academy of Sciences and that efforts are already being made.

Vice-Principal of Hovhannes Shiraz Armenian School Marine Sadoyan stressed the fact that the School is working with the Ministry and has actively participated in the Awards “For notable contribution to the preservation of the Armenian identity” and that this year the schoolchildren will also participate in the other programs of the Ministry.

Presenting the “My Armenia” Pan-Armenian Festival, Eduard Yesayants voiced hope that Austria’s Ani Armenian Choir would also participate in the festival.

Afterwards, the participants of the teleconference discussed issues related to investments and a favorable business climate in Armenia, as well as dual citizenship.