No immediate plan to specifically assist Syrian-Armenians in Armenia

Armenia High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan, at a press conference today in Yerevan, stated that his office continues to organize web-based seminars (webinars) bringing specialists in Armenia and the diaspora together to discuss a host of issues.

Today, according to Sinanyan, they are focusing on health care linkups.

"In that sense, we have had a very successful exchange of ideas between our doctors in the diaspora and Armenia. The participating doctors believe that such an exchange of ideas and experiences is very important, because, in fact, we have the same challenge, no matter where we live. Doctors learn new facts every day about the coronavirus and ways to overcome it. Therefore, it is very important to keep in touch with our specialists in real time,” said Sinanyan.

He says they plan to expand the field of webinar discussions and organize new ones. At the moment, they are working on this with the Ministries of Education, Science, Culture and Sports and High Technological Industry.

Sinanyan reported that his office is working with the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund to coordinate medical assistance provided by the diaspora to Armenia to fight the coronavirus.

Sinanyan said when the coronavirus first reached Armenia, doctors living in Los Angeles sent a ton of medical equipment and protective gear to Armenia in a few days.

Pointing to the active webinar participation of Armenian doctors in the United States, Sinanyan said he wished that Armenian physicians of Eastern Europe, Russia and Ukraine shared their experience as well.

Applications to Sinanyan’s office are mainly about moving to Armenia. Sinanyan noted that people from the western diaspora, Iran, Lebanon are asking for information, but that the number of applicants from Russia is much greater.

Sinanyan said that Armenians in Russia have contacted his office, complaining they have no work or shelter and that they want to return to Armenia.

 The High Commissioner said that Armenian MPs are actively working to solve the problems of these people and are looking for housing for those left stranded.

"The problem is complicated by the fact that many of our compatriots who went abroad may be infected, and non-citizens are not provided with medical services in many places. Even if we try to find shelter for them, whether they are infected becomes a problem,” Sinanyan said.

Sinanyan’s office currently has no information on how many Armenian citizens living overseas are infected with coronavirus. He said they started to monitor such numbers but eventual gave up since it is difficult to trace the data of Armenians living in the world.

"The number of infected people is actually large. I think it's much bigger than we think. Why? Because it has not yet reached its focus in Russia, it is natural that our compatriots living in Russia cannot remain indifferent to what is happening there," said Sinanyan.

The High Commissioner added that his office has no immediate plans to specifically assist Syrian-Armenians living in Armenia, an estimated 80% of which rent their homes.

Many them work in the service sector, which has been severely impacted by the coronavirus crisis.