to Varouj:- We might have disagreements it's refreshing to have a civilized discussion about opinions seen from different angels.

Hello my dear ArkaGatian.. I brought up the example of the USA because even the best of the best suffer from corruption... my point was you can't run away from corruption to other countries expecting the grass to be greener on the other side. Armenia is a country right in the middle of the pack and far less corrump than many of it's neighbors without emmigration issues. The issue is jobs, we are making progress on that as well. As soon as i find the link for a new study that shows how Armenia has improved significantly over the last 5 years i will. But the real issue is so many people are fatalistic and don't want to recognize the progress. No Jack there aren't thousands of Armenians lined up leaving like a decade ago, the numbers have decreased dramatically, now the leaders in emmigration are countries like Spain, Bulgarian, Croatia.

Most of you are in la la land. go to immigration offices in US, Europe, Canada, Turkey, Australia everyday thousands of Armenians from Armenia are seeking refugee, i think there must be a reason. Those who stayed, either don't have the means to get out or are part of the system and oligarchy. wake up and smell the coffee. JJ

We can only mend something if we know what is broken,I am currently in Armenia,I can not believe why my people are so cruel and rude to each other,fairness and sense of togetherness is missing,God help us I am in despair,please I beg,must learn how to love each other.

The band played its music to the very end. And then they all went down with the Titanic. I wonder what their thoughts were when the water started lapping at their feet?

Hovagim. Stop your nonsense. I amazed at your hate thowards Armenia. Please dont speak for those who very born there since you are not one of them your opinion is only an opinion or your spreading negative propaganda. I would suggest you to take a moment and decide it for yourself if Armenia is your homeland or not. Regardles of where the person is born,if anybody is trying to make it in Armenia support them instead of being negative. Trying to make it in Armenia is not weakness.

Talin. Without Armenia there would be no diaspora. Living outside of Armenia is not as bad as being so negative. Think before talking

Հասցեն եթե գրեք, ավելի հեշտ կգտնենք:Գուցե ընթերցողների մի մասն էլ պատրաստվում է կոշիկ գնել:

.... ամենաՎԱՏ մարդկանց տեսակը դա ապէրօ կամ հայաջհուդ տեսակն է , այս клон-ը ՀՀՇ-ի տեսքով, հիմա էլ ՀՀԿ-- ի տեսքով զավթել է իշխանությունը, որոնք ոչ մի առերես չունեն Հայերի հետ....

TO VAROUJ:- I am glad you mentioned Tech industry and yes it's the bright spot of the Armenian economy because I am sure you agree that since it has to do with brain, corruption is less of a factor here and influence or status it's minimal. We can have success stories here and there but as a whole if we don't have transparency in Armenia, we will be content with a little success stories here and there but full potential of the country won't be utilized. To have a corrupt free country doesn't have nothing to do with closed borders, no war no peace, or global economic slowdown.

Actually you'll be interested in knowing that four of my cousins actually moved to Hollywood, Canada, Lebanon, and Spain in the 90s and they all moved back to Armenia over the last 15 years. I wondered why they were willing to move back and they said you know it's possible to live comfortably in Armenia whereas in those other countries you live in the rat race and in the end you die exhausted No they are not good communists Vahram, they are good entrepreneurs and they see the ability to conduct work in Armenia at their level without any interference. In Their opinion many people leave because they don't have the skills to start their own business we see success in the high-tech sector also success in small business with those people that have the skills to create to be artisans.

to Vahram, i have not moved there yet, but have 8 friends who have moved there families there in the last 15 years and all of them are happy as clams, i visit them every year. I have over 60 second cousins that live in Hayastan that moved during the 1940's and they wouldn't leave if their lives depended on it. You see for every horror story there are two success stories, you can't build your future when you turn around and leave. In a recent study it shows optimists are over 35% more likely to succeed because they don't give up. Guess what happens when you give up, you fail!

Պայքարեք, ոչ մի դեպքում մի գնացեք Հայաստանից, այն Ձեր տունն է, ցույց տվեք ապիկարներին, որ արդար պայքարով կարելի է հասնել արդարության վերականգնման, Մենք Հայաստանում ձեզ նման մարդկանց կարիքը ունենք օդ ու ջրի պես

Ես և ամուսինս այդ խանութից գնել ենք ձմեռային կոշիկներ և շաաաաաաաաաաաաաաաաատ գոհ ենք, խորհուրդ կտամ բոլորին օգտվել այս մարդկանց խանութից կհամատեղեբենք բարի գործը որակով կոշիկ ունենալու հետ:

So!?? What is the aim of this article? Yes our country has a corrupt government/system like every other country in the world. What is the suggestion? For Diasporas to stay away? Pack and join the annual 200,000 emigrants? Why cannot we concentrate on problem solving? Or No maybe articles as such are just a poor negative publicity for AVA shoes? Everyone knows that moving to a new country and start a business is difficult. If this is suggesting that AVA shoes are owned by Armenians from Syria so they should get all unconditional attention and support well they will be very wrong! We were trying to get hold of them for months to buy shoes from them and not from shops like Mega Sport (!) that were selling AVA shoes. But nothing on their FB nothing anywhere nothing even on SA supported sites. In this dirty open market of our times running a business cannot continue on moving others' sympathy!

Խանութի հասցեն` Տերյան 52, AVA shoes

I wished I had money to help you guys.There are challenges everywhere even in US.Make it through as others already mentioned Armenia needs honest people!! Old soviet mentality should be replaced and that goes for politicians as well.Armenia needs western oriented young people to get out of this economic dilemma. Regards

Shame on all of the above who are so negative and jealous of others. Most probably none of them know what it means to live in a war. None of them was obligated to move out of country and even more they even never been in difficult situations. Thanks to all who were supporting the families in need. Sometimes people are just there to criticize without even seeing the big picture. Without diaspora Armenia cannot and will not survive for even 24 hours. The time will show.

To ArkaGatian... Ditto. Now lets keep building.

Goodbye Arshavir, we are really sorry to see you go. Perhaps one day you will come back and visit. http://www.aypoupen.com/2946/armenia-land-of-beauty-and-fruit/

Ok, not a long term solution but maybe something like this could help armenian small businesses at least in Yerevan with its relatively large consumer base: www.carrotmob.org. Just an opinion from an otar that is somewhat familiar with Armenia.

To ArkaGatian. What country had transparency? It's all relative. Is the US the country many disgruntled Armenians run to transparent? The country where Vice presidents own mega defense industry companies that billed the govt a billion dollars a month furing the Iraq ear? Or is is the special deals tge Cluntons offered or made? Or the thousands of corruption cases backlogged in the courts or is it where 500 people are killed by police in rhe first 6 months of 2015. You cant make a guy who is having poor shoe sales the poster child for a corrupt govt. this is called lamenting and is bordering disturbing

ava-shoes.com Վստա՞հ եք, որ նրանք հայ գնորդների կարիքն ունեն։ Կայքն ամբողջությամբ միայն անգլերեն է։

Հոդվածը հայերեն է, հայերի մասին, մեկնաբանողները՝ հայեր, բայց չգիտես ինչու մեկնաբանությունների մեծ մասն անգլերեն է։ Հայերեն գրեք, մենք էլ հասկանանք։

To Varouj: Considering your statement about your cousins moving back to Armenia from all over the world and being happy as clams, may be it's time for you to move back and join them in whatever happiness or struggles they are experiencing Looks like you are missing out on all the fun.... just saying

Hello Hovagim, you know it's very hard to move to a country where you don't know the language, especially after 40 years old. they moved after the fall of communism and yes they had a hard time adapting to their new countries. What they did learn though is they loved their fatherland, and they saw that America or these other lands didn't have any magic to take away their pains, no they saw that the same problems exist on the other side, so they said to themselves we're better off in our own country nurturing the next generation as opposed to ending the family tree in the diaspora. Hovagim your remarks are very disappointing. It always amazes me how people expect to improve when all they say is why something can't happen. To improve any situation you have to focus on what you can do about it, how you can change it, not how you can identify all the excuses why you can't succeed. We don't need pessimists, nor total optimists, what we need are realists. And the reality is Armenia is improving year after year, we are ahead of many European, Asian, and African countries in many indexes, I know we're not near the top but we're improving year after year. Imagine the Armenian Chess Team if they were lead by the people on this page, they would tell them why they couldn't succeed, why playing chess is a waste of time, why you can't expect to accomplish something, ,or the young minds in Tumo... please get off the boat before you make us sink into your bottomless pit of lamenting.

These people are TARGETED exactly for being outsiders - people unfamiliar with the way things are done in Armenia; with the ways the laws are flouted, how payments under the table get things done, how people can be terrorized if they challenge the positions of well placed and protected local mafioso. So yes... they are seen as easy prey for those whose sole objective is to exploit others and squeeze them dry. .........And to Varouj....maybe your relatives were good communists who never got deported or persecuted. Just saying...

The issues they face are not specific to them as diaspora Armenians. All Armenians face the same issues. If they are ready to easily give up and go, they never felt part of the homeland. No one promised to provide them with ready institutions. let's fight together and all feel part of it or just go never look back... Sorry that's true about whole world, not only Armenia. If that is yours, you will fight, otherwise what can I say?

Thank you Miganoush, I am often confused with the way the articles are written, they sometimes are just lamenting boards, once in a while they have a success story but too often laments. TOO ARKAGATIAN, I TOO read teh article last week about the gentleman from Los Angeles, and yes although he too was frustrated it doesn't exemplify what's going on. There are perhaps 100 success stories in comparison to these unfortunate ones. Is this indicative of your chances of success maybe yes maybe not. The title of the article itself is a downer, if you want to kill peoples initiative and excitment you're doing a great job HETQ... HOW MANY ARTICLES HAVE WE SEEN ABOUT SUCCESSFUL TECH STARTUPS IN ARMENIA? 2 OR 3 MAYBE, WHEN THERE ARE DOZENS?...

This the second article I am reading in Hetq about regarding the issues of diaspora Armenians are facing. Last week it was the Winemaker from USA about Armenian Custom Services and this week this Syrian Armenian family and the fines and penalties levied against them. I am pessimistic that the present 2nd Republic will survive and I hope won't have the same faith as the first republic. This time the danger is not Turkey, Bolsheviks or Red Army but corruption which makes people losing faith in their own government and just give up or leave which is much more worrisome. On one side there are good people who through their comments in this article are trying to help them by telling where this family's store is located and then on the other side you hear the immunity of the rich people with their connections twist the law in their favor and getaway from justice for any act they do . I wish the leadership of Armenia consists of Gayanes, Rafaels, Nunes, Nanas and Rubens who I believe represent the true Armenians which have the support of pan Armenians.

Կարծում եմ նյութն ավելի նպատակային կլինի եթե վաճառասրահի հասցեն հրապարակվի։