The My Step faction nominated Mkhitar Hayrapetyan to be the President of the Education, Science, Culture, Youth, Sport, and Diasporan Affairs Committee.
During discussions, head of the Bright Armenia faction Edmon Marukyan asked, “Don’t you feel any discomfort? You were the Minister of Diaspora for about seven months. During your interviews and visits to other countries, you frequently emphasized that the mission of this ministry is very important, as well as your mission as minister. Then you come to parliament and the ministry gets dissolved. How are we supposed to say this to the Diaspora in a way that won’t damage its relations with Armenia? If the ministry was so important when you were its minister, why isn’t it important anymore now that you’re not the minister?” Mkhitar Hayrapetyan responded by asking Marukyan about who said that it is no longer important. “We have been very honest with our reporters because Prime Minister Pashinyan spoke about optimization during the pre-election phase and clearly mentioned in his speeches that the number of ministries will decrease. When we asked the government what is necessary for them to effectively govern our state, they specifically presented a structure. The government will be responsible for that and only time will tell.” Mkhitar Hayrapetyan said that if we are to keep the Ministry of Diaspora, it has to be given supreme leverage, because if it is to be kept in the same way it was in the past- a symbolic institution- then it’s better for it not to exist.
Marukyan said that if the ministry is to close and a committee is to be established in its place, this means that the ministry will be brought outside the guidance of parliament.
Mkhitar Hayrapetyan assured that the work of the ministry will continue, and no questions can rise from the Diaspora as far as what they’ll do now that there’s no ministry.
Hripsime Jebejyan
