Opening of Repatriation and Integration Center is planned in spring  2023

ArmInfo. Today, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the Office of the High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs to get acquainted with the performance report 2022  of the department, the press service of the RA PM reports.

Deputy Prime Ministers Mher Grigoryan and Tigran Khachatryan, Chief  of Staff of the Prime Minister Arayik Harutyunyan, Deputy Minister of  Finance Vahan Sirunyan, High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs Zareh  Sinanyan, the leading staff of the Office, other officials  participated in the consultation.

It was reported that in 2022 the Office of the High Commissioner of  Diaspora Affairs carried out work in 4 directions: promotion of  repatriation and integration, development of Armenia-Diaspora  cooperation, formation of a joint Armenia-Diaspora agenda and raising  the potential of Diaspora communities.  It was noted that in 2022 the  number of applications for repatriation has increased. 8,000  applications were submitted, an Armenian language course was  organized for the first time, with the number of participants  reaching 240. Integration support packages were provided to Diaspora  Armenian families. The establishment of the Repatriation and  Integration Center is in progress, the opening of which is planned in  spring 2023.

The Global Armenian Summit was held for the first time in 2022 with  600 participants from 45 countries.  The programs "iGorts", "Step  Towards Home", "Young Ambassador of the Diaspora" are being  successfully implemented. The studies of Diaspora potential and  Diaspora Armenian communities continue. Armenia- Greece-Cyprus  trilateral cooperation memorandum was signed, within the framework of  which it is planned to exchange experience, implement joint  educational and cultural and youth events, etc.

The draft law of the Republic of Armenia on Repatriation was  developed, and the strategy for the development of Armenia-Diaspora  cooperation for 2023-2033 was also developed. The mentioned documents  will be submitted to the Government for discussion in the coming  months. Among a number of programs, the introduction of the Institute  of Commissioners of Diaspora Affairs in the communities, the  formation of the Diaspora Armenian Council, the promotion of economic  activity, and the coordination of charity programs are in progress. A  number of new initiatives are planned for 2023.  It was noted that  the Office carries out continuous public awareness raising campaign  about its programs, being represented on all social platforms.

Exchange of ideas regarding the report took place.

The Prime Minister emphasized the programs promoting repatriation and  instructed to start work on the development of the concept of  repatriation. In the context of Armenia-Diaspora cooperation, the  Head of the Government attached importance to the Institute of  Commissioners of Diaspora Affairs in the communities, the  introduction of which will promote the revision of relations. "The  format of the Global Armenian Summit is also a good platform for the  transformation of relations with the Diaspora, and it should be  developed," Nikol Pashinyan noted. The Prime Minister also drew the  attention of the officials to the process of coordination of  charitable initiatives of the Diaspora and instructed them to be  consistent in this issue.