From October 28 until 31, 2022, members of the National Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship SNCO were invited to the Global Armenian Summit organized by the High Commissioner of Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, which took place at the Meridian Expo Center, Yerevan.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of the Republic of Armenia, President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Alen Simonyan, and High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan all made introductory remarks during the ceremony. Nikol Pashinyan noted that the goal of the first Global Armenian Summit is to serve as a platform for connecting those ready to work toward increased cooperation between Armenia and the Diaspora, to incorporate and promote the state interest of the Republic of Armenia into the pan-Armenian agenda.
The summit, which gathered 600 participants from 50 different countries,, served as a platform for major Diaspora figures to engage in candid conversations about the main issues facing the Pan-Armenian community and to outline feasible solutions for each. It provided Armenia and the Diaspora the opportunities to identify priorities and new approaches to develop a strategic roadmap for future cooperation.
We must remain determined to keep "Building our Shared Future" and continue to navigate the challenges of our current realities in Armenia and Artsakh through the collaborative effort of the global Armenian nation that we will rebuild, recover and thrive again. The summit's agenda included discussions focused on economic engagement, preservation of Armenian identity, repatriation, national security, and much more. The proposals, solutions, and results achieved at the summit will serve as the cornerstone for developing the Republic of Armenia's Armenia-Diaspora strategy.
On the last day of the summit, the CEO of the National Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Hayk Margarian, was a speaker during the panel discussion "Diaspora representation within the Republic of Armenia's governing structures: Models to consider." along with other colleagues from the iGorts 2020 program. Hayk Margarian spoke about the challenges and opportunities of his experience in leading a governmental institution and emphasized the importance of being open to collaboration with public and private organizations. He also pointed up the importance of taking small steps in the right direction, as they will lead to a journey of significant changes.
