The establishment of the Center for the Armenian Diaspora is a remarkable event not only for Armenia and the Armenians, but also for representatives of the expert community on the whole.
This opinion was expressed by columnist Gurgen Grygorian to Pravda.Ru. According to him, the point is not to create a new organization that cooperates with the Diaspora – it goes about the emergence of a competent and experienced team in Armenia, which has a rich history in building a network of international humanitarian and business organizations, as well as an extensive experience in cross-border cooperation.
According to the journalist, the appearance of such an organization in light of the recent events in Armenia is relevant, since the republic has a need to renew and intensify the Armenia-Diaspora bond. For such a dialogue to be more effective, it is necessary for the cooperation of the Armenian society and Diaspora communities to receive a certain institutionalization, and not only on the formal level
"Right now, Armenia needs to stabilize the economic and social situation. Unfortunately, without reliance on the resources of the Diaspora, this will not be so easily accomplished. It should be admitted that all the previous models of building relations between Armenia and the Diaspora were not so effective, and therefore the time has come for new approaches and tools to create more effective and productive relations in the Armenia-Diaspora bond with specific feedback mechanisms for both sides," Gurgen Grigoryan said.
The organization was headed by Amram Petrosian, a well-known public and political figure, an international expert in the field of political science and interethnic relations, as well as in cross-border cooperation work. Before 2010, Petrosian was known as the founder and leader of Ukrainian political party known as the Party of Pensioners. Under his leadership, this political force achieved significant results, entered the top ten most influential political parties of Ukraine, and received more than 600 parliamentary mandates at the local level. Since 2015, he has headed the Foundation for the Development of Modern Diplomacy, which activities take place at the intersection of the humanitarian area and business. As part of the activities of this organization, several large humanitarian projects have been implemented in more than 30 countries around the world. Having very broad connections with business elites, representatives of the expert community and the media in the CIS and EU countries, the Foundation facilitated the entry of Russian and foreign companies into the international markets.
"In order to create an effective tool of cooperation between the Armenian society and the Diaspora, it is very important to cover the widest possible circle of participants, and this is possible with the help of a competent approach and openness of the organization to representatives of all political and social forces both in Armenia and in the Diaspora. It is gratifying that the new structure does not position itself as a political organization, and in reality is not one either. The team of the Center is represented by experts and managers in the field of establishing cross-border ties between representatives of the business and expert communities, which is what Armenia and the Diaspora need today!" Gurgen Grygorian concluded.