Ambassador says closing Russian Federal Migration Service’s office would not stop emigration of Armenians to his country
09.10.2012,
17:51
Russia’s ambassador to Armenia, Vyacheslav Kovalenko, disagreed today with arguments that closing the representation of the Russian Federal Migration Service in Armenia would stop emigration of Armenians to his country.
YEREVAN, October 9. / ARKA /. Russia’s ambassador to Armenia, Vyacheslav Kovalenko, disagreed today with arguments that closing the representation of the Russian Federal Migration Service in Armenia would stop emigration of Armenians to his country.
The ambassador’s remarks came as a response to a question from a journalist who wondered why Russia would not shut the representation that shows assistance to all those Armenians wishing to move to Russia for permanent residence. The journalist argued that Armenia’s dwindling population represents a serious threat to its national security.
"I do not think the problem lies with the Federal Migration Services’ office here in Armenia. No Armenian is forced to move to Russia. Do you think if the office is closed, people will stop emigrating from Armenia? The reason is something else," he said.
According to him, people are leaving Armenia, because they have some quite objective reasons unrelated to the office in question.
"The Federal Migration Service’s office was set up to limit illegal migration, so that the people who go to Russia to work be protected, have more or less normal living conditions and good wages. This is a legal form of work, : the ambassador said.
He said no one asks questions about how the U.S. consulates operate. "I can say that U.S. Green Card program has taken more people from Armenia than the Federal Migration Service," he said, citing the U.S. Embassy which says since 2007 more than five thousand people with families have left for USA legally due to Green Card program.
“I think before asking such questions one needs to look at least through statistics,’ he said.-0-
