Vartan Oskanian: It's a very broad effort to eradicate rural poverty in Armenia. The strategic objective of this program is reducing poverty in rural Armenia's border villages through an integrated approach. The program will provide the necessary intervention in the form of infrastructure and technical support, and in partnership with the residents of the village, the program will support economic development in order to enable the sustainability and viability of rural communities. We're proud that Armenia has evolved so much over this decade and a half that we are now in a position to imagine and launch such a far-reaching program.

Armenia TV: Everyone who has visited Armenia comments on the discrepancy in lifestyle and standard of living between the cities and the rural areas. Armenia's economic growth indicators are impressive, but that growth really has not reached the villages, has it?

Vartan Oskanian: You're right. Even at this current fast pace, it will take decades before we reach even the average European level of prosperity. If we want to ensure that these rural communities are not destined to remain stagnant, permanent pockets of poverty, if we want to ensure that Armenians are not born into a cycle of poverty, then we cannot allow development to simply take its course. We must take practical steps to intervene, to take a short-cut towards an improved quality of life for our rural citizens.

Armenia TV: What is the scope of this program? There are nearly 1000 villages in Armenia. How will you decide where to begin?

Vartan Oskanian: Of those 1000 villages you just mentioned, 200 are within 3 miles of our borders. The effects of rural poverty and hopelessness on migration, regional stability, geo-strategic and economic security are obvious in these villages. That is why we have decided to begin with Armenia's
border areas.

And, actually, in many of these villages, international organizations, individual Armenians and the Armenian government are already engaged. However, the extent of the damage wrought by the economic collapse and the energy crisis was profound. As a result, it's going to take a focused, targeted collaborative effort to improve life for our compatriots in these critical border areas.

In each of these villages, necessary infrastructure is simply non-existent. Some have no paved roads, others have no running water, some have no gas or electricity. Imagine trying to raise a family or make a living without these basics. Then, in addition to weak infrastructure, they also are often not economically self-sufficient. They either lack the markets for their products, or lack the means to get the product to market. In some cases, they have no viable product even. This is a problem throughout Armenia, but I don't think anyone will doubt that the border is critical.

Armenia TV: Why launch such an ambitious and novel program now?

Vartan Oskanian: Why now? There are three main reasons.

First, we want to build on the international momentum that already exists. Over the next five years, the Millennium Challenge Corporation will build roads and bring irrigation water to Armenia's rural areas. In addition, there is the generous new Lincy program that will build roads and schools within and outside Yerevan. There are massive World Bank, USAID, DFID and IFAD programs throughout Armenia. The Armenia Fund, too, has programs throughout Armenia, as well as Karabakh, of course. We want to leverage these programs and locate additional funds in order to bring comprehensive development to the villages. Imagine that a village will, in a few years, have irrigation water and roads, thanks to the MCC, for example. But imagine that there will be no drinking water, no health care, no school, no gas or electricity in that village. Imagine children growing up in a 21st century rural community that has roads and water and electricity, but is without access to telephone, television or internet. We can't let that happen. Now imagine what we could do together if the Armenian government, Armenia's business community, international organizations, and the Armenian Diaspora came together to leverage the MCC contributions and to build on the MCC momentum. Imagine a country where development is comprehensive, even, fair and just.

The second reason to do it now is to sustain the pace of economic development. Look, we've had high growth, at least in part because our point of departure was low. Our economy had collapsed. But the more the economy grows, the harder it will be to maintain double-digit growth. Additional infusion and intervention is necessary and why not target that infusion towards the areas that need it most?

Finally, Armenia has, over these 15 years, held a leading role in this region. This may sound surprising, but it's true. Georgia has a more favorable geographic position and access to the sea, Azerbaijan has already been pumping massive amounts of oil - more than 300,000 barrels a day over the last several years, yet, according to the World Bank, per capita income is still higher in Armenia. This is something to be proud of, but it's also something we must work at. We have to keep that edge even with the prospects of additional oil revenues expected for Azerbaijan. We can do that only if we aggressively mobilize our resources and clearly set comprehensive economic development as our goal.

Armenia TV: In other words, you are reinforcing the adage that the Diaspora has to make up for Azerbaijan's oil.

Vartan Oskanian: I am saying that Armenia and Diaspora should decide that we want every Armenian to be able to live in dignity, to be able to have hope, to be able to believe in the future, to know that his children will be educated, that her family can reach a doctor. That is development, that is the path to a democratic society. Hopeless people don't believe in themselves or their leaders, they don't protect or defend their votes, they don't care who wins or who pays them to win. We want a population that has hope in the future, that believes in themselves, and that has the will to take on responsibility and hold their leaders accountable.

Armenia TV: What will happen to the various organizations already working towards rural development?

Vartan Oskanian: This program will make every effort to partner with all existing organizations and programs in order to achieve maximum effectiveness and efficiency. We have already spoken to every single organization, individual and agency (more than 100 in number) with programs in Armenia's villages. Our program is not intended to replace or compete with existing programs. On the contrary, we will work with them to build on their efforts, to increase their capacity. Our website will reflect their efforts as well, so that donors and participants receive a complete picture of what is being done, and what is still needed.

Armenia TV: How will you seek support for this program?

Vartan Oskanian: This very serious and far-reaching program can only succeed with the active engagement and involvement of a variety of actors and participants. Individual countries have already expressed a willingness to focus their development assistance on our rural areas. International organizations are already focused on rural development. As are individual Diasporans and Diaspora organizations. Now, we must also engage and involve Armenia's businessmen, and new elements of the Diaspora. Those who have previously looked for specific projects and not found them will find them now. This project is varied and broad enough that individuals can find a variety of ways of getting involved. It will be implemented over 5 years, and this should make it easier to fundraise.

Armenia TV: On the one hand, it's good that the Diaspora is being offered a concrete program. On the other hand, some in the Diaspora are not prepared to engage full-heartedly or to make long-term commitments.

Vartan Oskanian: We know and understand that there are many aspects of this, or any new program, which will have to be explained in detail in order for individuals and organizations in the Diaspora to feel comfortable about engaging and giving. That is why this topic will form the focus of the agenda of the 3d Armenia-Diaspora Conference, to be held in Yerevan, September 18 - 20. There, we will explain the program's purpose, how it will be implemented, how the funds will be raised and managed, and the key issues of transparency and accountability will be addressed. We think that it is possible to use this program as a model for how to handle fundraising and program implementation, and to do it in a way that inspires confidence and ensures maximum participation.

Armenia TV: Will the management of the program remain within the MFA and the Diaspora Conference?

Vartan Oskanian: Between now and the Armenia-Diaspora Conference, we will have completed the design of the program, the management structure and begun the process of assessing needs and finding sponsors for villages. After the Armenia-Diaspora Conference, we envision that the Armenia Fund is best situated to take over as the umbrella which will appoint a governance board, a fiscal agent, as well as the management team. This ambitious program is a natural expansion of the Armenia Fund's mission - to facilitate infrastructure and development programs that are beyond the government's capacity.

It was a visionary step to create the Armenia Fund, soon after independence, when its additional resources were sorely needed. It has since completed projects which have invaluable, strategic significance for Armenia and Armenians. Now, we are at a stage when we can and should broaden that vision. Fifteen years after independence, we are no longer desperate and focused on everyday survival. Today, we must project a vision for Armenia in 2020. Our task is to develop the Armenia Fund into the kind of structure that will make possible the creation of a prosperous, evenly developed Armenia for our children. This program is the catalyst for that kind of transformation. If Armenians needed to strengthen Karabakh to ensure Karabakh's survival and prosperity, there can be no doubt that only a strong Armenia can ensure Karabakh's long-term future. This rural development program, which will work to improve the life of all Armenians in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh will go a long way toward ensuring the irreversibility of those links.

Of course, the breadth and scope of the program will require the Fund to increase capacity, to provide even greater transparency and to involve wider segments of the Diaspora.

Armenia TV: Tell us more about the Armenia-Diaspora Conference. What else will be on the agenda?

Vartan Oskanian: This conference will be held in the midst of the celebrations of Armenia's 15th anniversary. We've come a long way over this decade and a half. We've survived against great, great odds. Over the next 15 years, we must work to transform Armenia into the land of your dreams. That can happen if Armenia's expectations of the Diaspora and the Diaspora's expectations of Armenia are more evenly matched. This conference will also focus on those issues. In other words, with independence comes the need to succeed economically. The rural development plan addresses that concern and makes it possible for the Diaspora to participate in that direction. At the same time, with independence come questions about identify, about homeland-diaspora relations, about language and religion, about political parties and diaspora institutions. And if our traditional organizations used to look at these questions one way, today's youth approaches these issues very differently. They are looking for new answers to old questions. That is why the second half of the conference will focus on exactly that - New Answers to Old Questions - A Nation-State in the 21st Century.

This way, we will have addressed the two fundamental issues facing a people and a country - identity and development -- who we are and who we want to become.

Armenia TV: Minister Oskanian, Thanks for taking the time to talk with us.