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RUSSIAN EMIGRATION SCHEME CAN NOT BE IMPLEMENTED IN ARMENIA AGAINST ITS WILL: DEPUTY MINISTER
/ARKA/
12 October, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, October 12, /ARKA/. Russian government-designed program
Compatriots, a controversial scheme encouraging and helping Armenians
and citizens of other former Soviet republics, to migrate to Russia,
can not be carried out in Armenia against its will, a deputy foreign
minister, Shavarsh Kocharian, said today after a recurrent session
of Armenian-Russian intergovernmental economic cooperation commission
held in Yerevan.
He said Armenia's position is spelled out clearly in the protocol
signed after the session by both sides. According to him, the Russian
side wants the scheme to continue while Armenia is against. He said
this means the scheme can not be implemented in Armenia.
Kocharian refused from further comments.
The scheme was defended last week by Russian ambassador to Armenia,
Vyacheslav Kovalenko, who downplayed Armenia's concerns saying no
one forces Armenians to leave their country and go to Russia.
"Answers to the question about why people leave Armenia should be
sought somewhere else," he added.
This concern was shared also last week by prime minister Tigran
Sarkisian who said at a cabinet session that such activities of
Russian immigration authorities in Armenia were "unacceptable". He
added that his government was in discussions with Russian counterparts
to stop the program in Armenia "in its present format" The Compatriots
program is effective since 2006.
/ARKA/
12 October, 2012
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, October 12, /ARKA/. Russian government-designed program
Compatriots, a controversial scheme encouraging and helping Armenians
and citizens of other former Soviet republics, to migrate to Russia,
can not be carried out in Armenia against its will, a deputy foreign
minister, Shavarsh Kocharian, said today after a recurrent session
of Armenian-Russian intergovernmental economic cooperation commission
held in Yerevan.
He said Armenia's position is spelled out clearly in the protocol
signed after the session by both sides. According to him, the Russian
side wants the scheme to continue while Armenia is against. He said
this means the scheme can not be implemented in Armenia.
Kocharian refused from further comments.
The scheme was defended last week by Russian ambassador to Armenia,
Vyacheslav Kovalenko, who downplayed Armenia's concerns saying no
one forces Armenians to leave their country and go to Russia.
"Answers to the question about why people leave Armenia should be
sought somewhere else," he added.
This concern was shared also last week by prime minister Tigran
Sarkisian who said at a cabinet session that such activities of
Russian immigration authorities in Armenia were "unacceptable". He
added that his government was in discussions with Russian counterparts
to stop the program in Armenia "in its present format" The Compatriots
program is effective since 2006.