Vaհe H Apelian
During the last National Assembly session, the PM Nikol Pashinyan preseted his government’s 2026-2031 agenda in an eighty-five pages long booklet that was distributed to the delegates. That marathon session as expected, was all about “Real Armenia”, the Republic of Armenia.
The government’s five-year program, also as expected, was adopted by the National Assembly. It consists of six sections and each section is further subdivided by chapters. The program is available online for all those who want to read it. I posted the six sections with their chapters below.
Section 2 is called is called “Human Capital and Welfare”. It consists of 9 chapters. The second chapter pertains to relations with Diaspora. It reads as follows in official translation.
“The Government will redefine the relations with the Diaspora, building them around the ideology of "Real Armenia" and Armenian statehood. It is important to redefine Armenia-Diaspora co-operation in the context of peace. To this end,
(1) Programmes promoting professional repatriation from the Diaspora will be introduced.
(2) The co-operation with pan-Armenian professional, expert, youth and student networks will be expanded.
(3) The access for educational institutions of the Diaspora to educational programmes aligned with the general education content of the Republic of Armenia, educational materials, Armenian-language printed and electronic educational resources, digital educational services, capacity-building and exchange programmes will be continuously expanded, and the integration
of educational institutions into the educational system of Armenia will be ensured to the extent possible.
(4) The co-operation between the educational, scientific and cultural institutions of the Republic of Armenia and the institutions of the Diaspora, including research centres and organisations, will be expanded, promoting the development of joint educational programmes, research projects, academic mobility, and exchange of experience.”
The government of Armenia is stating that “The Government will redefine its relations with the Diaspora around the ideology of "Real Armenia" and Armenian statehood.” There is nothing new there, other than having stated bluntly what has been the case on and since May 28, 1918. We in the Diaspora need to understand the obvious reasons that no Armenian government has made the return of historical lands; and recognition, reparation, and restitution of the Armenian Genocie the government’s foreign policy matters. If we do not understand and appreciate that, we will never narrow the divide between Diaspora and Armenia.
Any argument to the contrary will have to contend then with the fact that the Armenian governments have been acting unconstitutionally since the Declaration of Indepence, adopted on August 23, 1990, was incorporated in the Armenian constitution in 1995. No Armenian government since May 28, 1928, has made regognition, reparation, restitution of the Genocide and Armenian historical lands as instruments of its foreign policy. The marathon session of the last National Assembly was all about Real Armenia. Diaspora, on the other hand has to a great extend, hinged its Armenian identity on Genocide. There remains to be seen how Diaspora structure its relations with Armenia. I am reminded of the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide before 1965. It was held indoors with the Avedis Aharonian’s quote inevitably on display “ «Այսքան չարիք թէ մոռանան մեր որդիք, Թո՛ղ ողջ աշխարհ Հային կարդայ նախատինք» - “If our children will forget so much evil, let the whole world read them contempt.” I do not think there is any Armenian of my generation who does not know Avedis Aharonian’s statement by heart.
Of course we will never forget the Genocide. We will remember and honor the martyrs of the Genocide. In Armenia, by paying homage to them in at the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide memorial complex. Armenian government officias will continue to pay homage to the martyrs on April 24, which is condified as a non-working holiday. In the Diaspora, Armenian schools will close on April 24. Armenian churches will continue on offering special services and memorial liturgies on April 24 to observe the Holy Martyrs of the Armenian of the Armenian genocide.
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The Armenian Republic Government’s programme for 2026-2031.
Content:
SECTION 1. FOREIGN POLICY AND SECURITY
Chapter 1. Foreign Policy
Chapter 2. Security
SECTION 2. HUMAN CAPITAL AND WELFARE
Chapter 1. Education
Chapter 2. Relations with the Diaspora
Chapter 3. Healthcare
Chapter 4. Sports and Healthy Lifestyle
Chapter 5. Labor and Social Protection
Chapter 6. Culture
Chapter 7. Spiritual Security
Chapter 8. Environment
SECTION 3. ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION
Chapter 1. Global and Integrated Economy
Chapter 2. Competitive Economy
Chapter 3. Knowledge-Based and Innovative Economy
SECTION 4. URBAN PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Chapter 1. Transport
Chapter 2. Energy
Chapter 3. Communications
Chapter 4. Water resources and systems
Chapter 5. Urban development and spatial planning
Chapter 6. Waste management
SECTION 5. DEMOCRACY, JUSTICE AND THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
Chapter 1. Adoption of the new Constitution
Chapter 2. Electoral system reforms
Chapter 3. Reevaluation of the institution of citizenship
Chapter 4. Protection of human rights
Chapter 5. Strengthening the independence and efficiency of the judicial system
Chapter 6. Penitentiary, probation and compulsory enforcement reform of the system providing
Chapter 7. Expansion of out-of-court dispute resolution methods
Chapter 8. Digitalization of justice and the judicial system
Chapter 9. Anti-corruption policy
SECTION 6. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION EFFICIENCY AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Chapter 1. Skilled people
Chapter 2. Evidence-based and effective policies
Chapter 3. People-centered services and digital transformation
Chapter 4. Effective management of public finances and assets
SUMMARY
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