28/10/2014 17:24
Crimean Armenians to set up regional national-cultural autonomy
The national congress of the Crimean Armenian Society (CAS) took a decision to set up a regional national-cultural autonomy in Crimea, RIA Novosti reported.
“The regional national-cultural autonomy will be registered at Justice Ministry by December 13, in accordance with Russian laws,” the CAS head Vagharshak Melkonyan told RIA Novosti.
According to him, the new regional union will include 17 local national-cultural autonomies of Armenians. Unlike the status of a NGO, the creation of such autonomy will allow Armenians to claim finance from the republican and state budgets for their programs aimed at preserving their culture, language, national identity and historical heritage.
“National-cultural autonomies have already been created in cities of Yalta, Feodosia, Kerch, and the others are in the process of registration. We have 17 branches of the Crimean Armenian Society and we decided that by late 2014, all 17 branches shall enter the Russian field as city-based national-cultural autonomies,” Melkonyan noted.
The CAS head said about 15,000-20,000 Armenians live in Crimea, according to their information, but their precise number will be known after the Crimean census.