Armenia is ready to welcome even more of Armenian refugees in Syria and hopes that the Armenian Diaspora in western countries contribute to their integration, said Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan during a visit to the United States in the evening of Wednesday 30 March. Speaking to the representatives of the Armenian community of Boston, he recalled that the Armenian community of Syria was threatened with extinction, and its rich heritage there was partly destroyed. Having called for help of Armenia’s partners, he appealed to the Diaspora to assist Armenia in its efforts to host other Armenian refugees from Syria. “It is painful for us to see the destruction of the Armenian community in the Middle East.
But perhaps is it a lesser evil if the overwhelming majority of its members stood in his homeland [ancestral]. It would be a sort of consolation for us, “said Sargsyan, adding,” the loss of this once thriving community is really painful, but we must do everything in our power to at least help those who have left [Syria ] has joined Armenia “.He recalled that it already had 20 000, which made Armenia the third host country for Syrian refugees in proportion to the Armenian population.
Syria hosted an estimated 80,000 Armenians, who are almost all of them descendants of survivors of the Armenian genocide of 1915. Only 10,000 of them are still in this country ravaged by war .
While rapidly granting them residence permits and even citizenship, Yerevan authorities her so far refrained from openly encourage the Syrian Armenians to take refuge in their ancestral homeland. They had also resisted local calls for the evacuation of the remaining Armenians in Syria. Sargsyan seems to mark out a change in this policy.
Armenian President insisted that his administration to do more to ensure that these refugees a “dignified life”. “We quickly grant them citizenship, free education and grants for medical services, business creation and rebuilding their lives in Armenia,” he has said. Many complain, however, their difficulty in finding decent jobs and pay their accommodation.
Sarkisian also praised the Armenian-American charities that have provided emergency aid to Syrian Armenians. But he made it clear that they should do more.
Yerevan also hopes to get financial assistance from foreign governments and international donor agencies. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian appealed to the international community of donors Wednesday at a United Nations conference in Geneva on the crisis of Syrian refugees.
Gari © armenews.com