Armenia can not regard its diaspora as a donor only: PM says

YEREVAN, February 4. / ARKA /. The Armenians of the world are a single interconnected organism that lives by a single logic, and this is why Armenia can not look at its vast Diaspora as a donor only, prime minister Tigran Sargsyan said in an interview with The Moscow News newspaper.

"We look at our Diaspora as part of the Armenian world. The Armenian world has its economic and political interests, lobbying organizations and charitable foundations. Two-thirds of our people live outside Armenia, and the impact of the 6 millionth Diaspora is very strong and palpable. Armenia itself often helps the Armenian communities," Sargsyan said.

He said Armenians have their global organizations like pan-Armenian organizations of architects, lawyers, dentists, surgeons and so on, who meet for various workshops and conferences worldwide. “This ensures that the nation is more united, and the living organism gets more opportunities for self-realization ", he added.

Sargsyan spoke also about his family and the Armenian Genocide of 1915, saying in particular that his ancestors came from Erzurum which is in present-day Turkey.

"My grandfather escaped death by miracle. Having lost the entire family – his parents, brothers, sisters - he emigrated first to Russia and then to Eastern Armenia. And at the age of 17 he started life from scratch. Our whole life is saturated with memories of our historical homeland, genocide and its victims. This fate befell many Armenian families," he said.

The 1915 Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century. Turkey denies that mass annihilation of the Armenian population -1.5 million- during World War I amounted to genocide.

The Armenian Genocide is recognized by many countries, including Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, the majority of U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Argentina, Belgium and Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland and many other countries. -0-