Armenian Genocide Conference at the Sorbonne Under the Patronage of French President Francois Hollande

PARIS — An international conference organized by the International Scientific Council for the study of the Armenian Genocide (CSI) titled “Genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in the Great War. 1915-2015: One hundred years of research” solemnly opened at the Sorbonne on March 25. The three day conference is held under the patronage of French President Francois Hollande.

This exceptional event has brought together tens of researchers and historians from different countries of the world.

French Minister of Education and Research, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, inaugurated the International Symposium, delivering a powerful speech recounting the dark hours of the first genocide of the twentieth century. She said “the rigorous study of sources, survivor testimonies and documents has established this truth that no longer must be debated in the academic community about the reality of the Armenian genocide.”

Among the historians in attendance are Yves Ternon, Stephan Astourian, Erdal Kaynar, Claire Mouradian, Sait Çetinnoglu Mustafa Aksakal, Richard Hovannisian, Vincent Duclert, Raymond Kevorkian, KM-Ümit Kurt, Ara Sarafian, Hans-Lukas Kieser, Georges Bensoussan, David Gaunt, Sia Anagnostopoulou, Joël Kotek, Stéphane Audoin-Rouzeau, Hamit Borzasian, Peter Holquist, Erik-Jan Zürcher, Mikaël Nichanian, Dzovinar Kevonian, Edhem Eldem, Ayhan Aktar, Boris Adjemian, Henry Rousso, Mutafian clude Alban Perrin, Hira Kaynar, Jesn-Pierre Chretien, Dominik Schaller, Roger Smith, Christian Ingrao, Nicols Werth, Helene Dumas and Taner Akcam.

Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem will attend the commemorations in Yerevan on April 24 with President Francois Hollande.