ArmenPress
Nov. 3, 2004

RUSSIAN ARMENIANS INDIFFERENT TO AGREEMENT ON THEIR VOLUNTEER RETURN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS: A senior official of the
government-affiliated department for refugees and migration, said to
Armenpress that no Russia-based Armenian has responded yet to a
bilateral government agreement on volunteer return of Russian Armenians
back to home and Russians from Armenia to Russia.
Irina Davtian, head of a division dealing with migration policy
development, said the agreement was supposed to mainly apply to
Armenians who emigrated in mass to Russia in the recent decade, as
there are virtually no Russian citizens living here on a permanent
basis.
She explained the reluctance of Russian Armenians to come back home
by the fact that the agreement in question applies to those who are
officially registered by the authorities and "it would be naive to
expect them who are close to be granted Russian citizenship to come
back to Armenia."
Based on this, she said, the department is working now to broaden
the frameworks of the agreement and to extend it to Armenians with no
official status in Russia, who make the majority of Armenian immigrants
in Russia and who are most likely to come back. She also said the
Russian side was informed about their intention.
The agreement exempts re-settlers from paying customs duties and
other taxes when bringing their property.