Viktor Krivopuskov: The majority of Armenian parents want their children to be fluent in Russian

The head of the Federal Agency Rossotrudnichestvo and counselor of the Russian embassy in Armenia, Victor Krivopuskov, tells VK about Russian-Armenian cooperation in the spheres of economics, science and education.

- How do matters with the “Property in Exchange for Debt” deal stand?

For some reason, many people claim that these enterprises aren't functioning. This is a lie. All these enterprises are functioning. However, it is difficult to keep them functioning efficiently in a period of crisis. The “Mars” factory has been profitable for three years already.

- What are the common achievements in the sphere of education?

- At intergovernmental level a project of the Moscow State University subsidiary establishment in Yerevan is being worked out at the moment Kovalenko. The Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia is. The project is supported by Russian Ambassador to Armenia Vyacheslav strongly interested in the project. The subsidiary is to be opened next year. The facilities will be innovative and provide training for specializations which are not currently available in Armenia's higher education institutes. Last year 300 young people were enrolled in Russian institutes for higher education. They will receive free education in accordance with the interstate agreement.

- In February “ Rossotrudnichestvo ” entered into a new cooperation agreement with the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. Is there any progress in this field?

- This autumn the first international meeting of young scientists of Armenia and CIS countries “Under the Bright stars of Byurakan” will be held. The meeting will be based in the Byurakan Observatory. By this time, a programme of modernization of this observatory and its inclusion in the System of Space Security will have been launched. The programme is initiated by “ Rossotrudnichestvo ”. It is being implemented by young Russian scientists from the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics on the basis of mixed funding. The structure, formed in the 1990’s, allows for space tracking, as well as tracking of space debris in orbit.

- Recently, some Armenian mass-media have launched a campaign against you and the structure you head. You are blamed for promoting the Russian language almost forcibly. Will you comment on this?

- There is nothing for me to comment on here. It is complete fiction and provocative invention. Sociological researches show that the majority of Armenian parents want their children to know Russian brilliantly. And all these talks of interference of the Russian language in the development of the Armenian language are disseminated by people uninterested in the progress of their own country.  The Russian language has never been a hindrance to Armenian. Quite the contrary, as the Armenian enlightener Levon Mkrtchyan said, “Since the times of the blessed Khachatur Abovian, Russian has become a language understanding the Armenian lot, the pain and joy of Armenian fate, of the biblical Armenia with its biblical Ararat ”.