YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 20, NOYAN TAPAN. "Mass migration from Armenia, which took place in 1991-95, in essence, is a depopulation," Gevorg Poghosian, Director of Philosophy, Sociology and Law Institute of RA National Academy of Sciences, declared this in his September 19 speech at the Armenia-Diaspora third conference. In his words, over the past 10 years one million people emigrated from Armenia. He also said that starting 1997 the rates of emigration stabilized, i.e. from 50 to 100 thousand people migrated each year. 80% of emigrants chose Russia as a place of their residence, 5% other CIS countries, 15% U.S. 60% of migrants from Armenia are men aged from 18 to 55, 63% of which have vocational and higher education. As G.Poghosian estimated, this is the very part of the population that could become a basis for establishment of the country's new economy. "One of the main reasons of absence of medium stratum in Armenia is emigration." Among the main reasons for leaving Armenia G.Poghosian mentioned the economic one, i.e. the issue of employment, the factor of the blockade and war. Whereas, he emphasized that the economic reason has not been liquidated up to present, i.e. Armenia remains a country with an excess of manpower. Besides, in his words, the consequences of the war have not been liquidated, too. "Even if we raise our living standard for five times, there always will be people who will leave the country searching for a job," G.Poghosian declared. At the same time, in his opinion, mass migration provided a certain stability: "Migrants from Armenia send from 1 to 1.5 bln USD to their relatives each year, which exceeds the state budget three times.

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