Aram Manukyan addresses question to Armenian PM
The highest emigration rate was recorded in 1990-95s when over one million people left the country, Armenia's Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said in the National Assembly when answering the question of Aram Manukyan, Leader of the Pan-Armenian National Movement (HHSh) and MP of the Armenian National Congress (HAK).
Mr. Manukyan opposed the premier saying ‘the figures do not correspond to reality,' to which Mr. Sargsyan said, "There must have been more."
Tigran Sargsyan stressed that emigration increased especially in 2009 due to the global economic crisis.
Referring to the figures of the National Statistical Service, Aram Manukiyan noted that 69 000 people have left Armenia for good during the last five months of 2012, and ‘these people have not gone to work abroad.'
"If emigration continues at the same rate, by the end of the year the number will reach 150 000," he stressed.
Tigran Sargsian thanked for trusting the official figures and then said everything will be done to create jobs and provide justice.
Aram Manukian tried to get prime minister's explanation on what the latter meant when saying, "What shall we do? Shall we let these people stay in Armenia to organize a rebel?" Since the session was aired with terminations, we could not understand the prime minister's reply.
