Diaspora Leaders Defend Role in Armenian National Cause

Mourad Papazian, an ARF Bureau member and co-president of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France, responded to criticism from Armenian Civil Contract MP Arman Yeghoyan, who questioned the legitimacy and representation of diaspora leaders including ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian and EAFJD president Kaspar Karampetian.

Papazian argued that diaspora legitimacy extends beyond electoral mandates, derived instead from decades of public service and tangible results. He outlined the diaspora's century-long role in preserving Armenian culture, language, and institutions following the 1915 genocide, and highlighted its historical function as unofficial Armenian diplomacy when the Soviet Armenian state lacked independent foreign policy.

The exchange reflects ongoing tensions between Armenia's government and diaspora organizations over their respective roles in advancing Armenian national interests.