Azernews.Az

The population of Armenia is emigrating from the country as it is ``tired of injustice`` and lost hope for the future, former foreign minister Vardan Oskanian was quoted by local media as saying.

``The parliamentary elections due in May will be crucial for Armenia as the two [key] problems facing the country -- the economic situation and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict -- must be resolved,`` Oskanian, a member of Prosperous Armenia party, said at its recent congress.

He noted that according to the Armenian statistics body, the South Caucasus republic`s population is around 2 million.

``This means that we have dropped from the psychological boundary inherent to a 3 million nation. If the current social and economic situation and morale in the country does not change in the near future, emigration will continue.``

The former minister believes that to tackle the aggravating situation, political will is necessary and Armenia`s laws and constitution must be enforced. Abidance by the founding principles of democracy is the only way to foster success and development in the country, Oskanian said.

He stressed that Prosperous Armenia`s priorities for the next five years will be to achieve a free and competitive economy, opening of jobs and decent living standards for citizens. ``This is the only path to a fair state,`` he added.

11,000 sought asylum in Europe
11,000 Armenian citizens have sought asylum in the countries of western Europe in the past two years, according to a report released recently by the UN refugee agency.

The number of Armenians applying for asylum in France alone has doubled in this period. The number of Armenian citizens seeking refuge in Austria, Germany, Poland and Canada has increased as well, according to UNHCR`s report, Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries 2011.

At the same time, the number of people applying for asylum in Armenia has been on downward trend, dropping from 300 in 2007 to 70 in 2011, UNHCR said.