YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Receiving the newly-appointed German Ambassador to Armenia Hans-Yochen Schmidt on November 16, Armenian Minister of Diaspora Ms. Hranush Hakobian expressed a hope that the relations between Armenia and Germany will become closer. She said that the 2010 draft state budget of Armenia envisages money for the maintenance and development of the Armenian Studies Chair at Freie Universitat Berlin (Open University of Berlin) and that she anticipates the ambassador's assistance in this respect. She added that the implementation of the programs under the memorandum signed between Yerevan State University and Freie Universitat Berlin will contribute to the development of this center of Armenian studies. Considering it important to increase the number of Armenian one-day schools in Germany, Ms. Hakobian said that special importance is attached to the teaching of Armenian. She mentioned Hungary's experience where the state allocates money to the national autonomous units for preservation of their national cultures and languages. According to a report of the Press and PR Department of the Ministry of Diaspora, the sides also discussed the prospects of organizing an exchange of students, promoting the links between the Armenian community in Germany and the Bundestag, and also the prospect of studying the history of the community and shooting a film about it. Issues related to Armenian-Turkish relations were also touched upon.

---