YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–President Kocharian met Friday with Lebanese Minister of Oil Shahe Barsoumian. The minister conveyed Lebanese President Ilias Hrawi’s greetings to Kocharian.
Barsoumian arrived in Armenia to participate in the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Armenian independence. Barsoumian assured the Kocharian that the successful celebrations and all else he and visiting Diasporans witnessed on this trip would served as impetus to the strengthening of Armenia-Diaspora relations.
Stressing the importance of the Diaspora’s participation in Armenia’s social and political–as well as economic life–Kocharian underlined that Armenia is homeland to all Armenia’s. According to the president–the Diaspora is "our wealth and in pursuit of policy can serve as a powerful stimulus to the further development of Armenia."