Armenian Foreign Minister Puts Further Distance Between Armenia and Diaspora
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said that the Diaspora’s perspectives do not always align with those of Armenians living in Armenia. At the same time, he claimed that he is seeing signals from diaspora Armenians that they are beginning to understand what real Armenia needs.
Speaking at a panel discussion at the Yerevan Dialogue 2026, Mirzoyan was asked to what extent the Armenian government takes into account the opinions of Diaspora Armenians in foreign policy decision-making.
“Yes, we have a large Armenian diaspora, yes, it is an important tool, they are our compatriots, but we must all understand that they are citizens of different countries, and their views may not directly coincide with the opinions of Armenians living in other countries. For example, I am not sure that the interests and concerns of Armenians living in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States can coincide with the interests and concerns of Armenians living in Russia. And one thing that is even more important is that I am not sure that the interests and concerns of Armenians living abroad can coincide with the interests, concerns, and needs of Armenians living in Armenia,” Mirzoyan said.
“We must understand that a significant part of the diaspora are descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide; they had to flee, seek refuge, and secure their livelihoods far from these places. Therefore, many diaspora Armenians want to see a greater Armenia, a historical Armenia, an Armenia that had a glorious and rich past, but today that is a dream; that is not the real Armenia. Today we live in this specific region, with these specific neighbors, and we do not want to spend our next decade, century, or millennium fighting with our neighbors, suffering more casualties on the battlefield, and losing more people who, due to conflict, will leave Armenia and find solutions in other countries,” Mirzoyan explained, noting that in this regard the views and needs of Armenians living in Armenia may differ from those of Armenians living abroad.
He said the matter is an interesting and important issue that needs to be discussed in depth, understood, and addressed.
“I am more than confident that this solution is coming. I see more and more signals from diaspora Armenians that they are beginning to understand what real Armenia needs, and we are hearing more voices of support from the diaspora,” Mirzoyan added.
