Friday, 31 July 2015
PM Welcomes Diaspora Summer School 2015 Program Participants
Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan hosted the participants of the Diaspora Summer School 2015 program in the Government’s conference hall. The school is aimed at preserving and strengthening national identity in Diaspora communities, raising the level of awareness of the Armenian language among young people, promoting mass media activities in support of self-organization in Diaspora communities. The meeting was attended by Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan.
Welcoming the guests, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of ensuring program continuity. “This is a platform that enables you to communicate with each other and strengthen Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora relations. It is a priority for the Government, and we will spare no effort and financial resources to strengthen the ties and contacts in this format. It stems from the best interest of our State, and I consider it a patriotic and pro-Armenian program,” the Prime Minister stated.
Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan noted that the Diaspora Summer School program has been implemented for three years now. Originally, the program had a budget intended for 150 people, but in 2014 Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan made an arrangement to redouble the program’s budget. The program participants thanked the Prime Minister and the Diaspora Minister for a warm reception and proper organization of the projected events.
During the exchange of views that followed, the Head of Government answered the questions of interest to Diaspora compatriots, which bore on Armenia’s foreign and domestic policy priorities, economic development, business and investment climate, preservation and repatriation issues, regional situation, the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, constitutional reforms, strengthening of Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora ties, etc.
Concluding his speech, the Prime Minister urged the Summer School participants to keep in touch with each other and the Motherland, frequently visit Armenia and continue endeavoring toward the preservation of national identity outside the Motherland.
Diaspora Summer School program has been implemented since 2012 in collaboration with the Yerevan State University. Classes are held in six disciplines: Diaspora school teachers training courses, workshops for Diaspora journalists and young Diaspora leaders, Armenian language (Eastern and Western) courses, national song and dance teacher training courses and, starting from 2014, training for Armenian community staff and representatives.
This year, some 250 teenagers from the Diaspora have participated in the program, which featured numerous cultural events in addition to the academic curriculum.
