YEREVAN — On September 18, the 6th Armenia-Diaspora Pan-Armenian Conference kicked off at Karen Demirtchyan Sport and Concert Complex in Yerevan.
During the plenary session, RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan delivered her opening remarks, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians gave his blessings to the participants of the conference. President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan gave a speech, President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan expressed his greetings to the attendees, and His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia gave his blessings.
The 6th Armenia-Diaspora Pan-Armenian Conference is being held under the title “Mutual Trust, Unity and Responsibility” and with the participation of more than 1,800 representatives. The geography has expanded. There are more than 1,500 leaders and representatives of Armenian structures and organizations from 71 countries around the world, Armenian Members of Parliaments and ministers of different countries and Armenians elected as representatives of local authorities. Artsakh is represented by a 40-member delegation, and over 400 state, political and cultural figures, scholars and journalists are participating in the conference as representatives of the Republic of Armenia. There are large delegations from the Russian Federation (259), the USA (213), France (92), Lebanon (107), Syria (44), Iran (56), Argentina (35), Canada, Turkey and Georgia. Representatives of the communities of Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Mexico, Ethiopia, Sudan and Myanmar are participating in the conference for the first time.
More than 35 percent of the participants are women, and nearly 20 percent are young people.
During the conference, there will be 2 more plenary sessions, as well as 16 panel sessions devoted to 4 topics. The panel sessions will be devoted to the development of Armenia’s economy, regional challenges and the national security agenda, the foreign policy agenda, the elimination of the consequences of the Armenian Genocide and the preservation of the Armenian identity. The panel sessions will be moderated by the relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of International Economic Integration and Reforms and the Ministry of Diaspora.
Two roundtable discussions will be held during the conference. The first roundtable discussion will be devoted to the creation of a Pan-Armenian Council. The second roundtable discussion will be devoted to the preliminary plans for organizing and conducting the celebrations dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Armenia, the 100th anniversary of the Battles of May and the 2,800th anniversary of Erebouni-Yerevan.
RA Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan will deliver a speech entitled “The Main Provisions of the Economic Policy of the Government of the Republic of Armenia” during the plenary session of the second day of the conference.
Speaker of the RA National Assembly Ara Babloyan will give a speech during the final session, and the moderators of the panel sessions devoted to the four topics will present the results of the panel sessions.
The participants of the conference will adopt a declaration after the results of the sessions are summed up.
Pavilions have been set up at the Sport and Concert Complex where organizations like TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, Ayb Innovative School and Kvant School are showcasing their achievements. The achievements of Armenia’s winemaking, brandy and textile industries are showcased in separate pavilions. Megerian Carpets is presenting the past achievements of Armenian carpet-making and the current growth. Artsakh is presenting its achievements in culture and economy. There is also a pavilion devoted to the “Nation-Army” ideology.
The conference will also feature several cultural events. September 16th marked the opening of the Nairi Music Park-Museum, which showcases 10 bronze, iconic sculptures symbolizing Armenian song, music and national instruments and is located near Nairi Spa Resorts hotel complex in Hankavan. On September 18, a concert dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the career of Arax Mansourian will be held at the National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet after Alexander Spendiaryan. On September 19, an event dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the TV series “Of Armenian Descent” will be held at Karen Demirtchyan Sport and Concert Complex. On September 20, the participants of the conference will attend the gala concert of Nairi Pan-Armenian Music Festival, which is being held under the high patronage of the President of the Republic of Armenia and will pay homage to remarkable artists of Armenia and the Diaspora. From September 5 to 29, the Ministry of Diaspora, in association with the Armenian Collectors’ Club of the High Art Center for Fine Arts, is organizing the first exhibition called “Various” at Komitas Museum-Institute. The exhibition showcases 30 works of 24 notable Armenian artists starting from the mid-19th century and ending with the early 21st century, exclusively from private collections.
The sponsors of the conference are Grand Candy, Yerevan Brandy Factory, Vedi Alco, the Support to Javakhk Foundation, Noyan Juice Foundation, Jermuk Group, Voskevaz Wine Factory, Sipan Company and Avshar-Alco. The information sponsors are Armenian Public Television, Shant TV, Yerkir Media TV, Ararat TV and R TV, as well as the Public Radio of Armenia and “Armenpress” Armenian News Agency. A press center will be operating throughout the conference.
The first pan-national conference was held in September 1999 and was referred to as the Armenia-Diaspora Forum. The second was held in May 2002, and the 3rd pan-Armenian forum was held in September 2006. The first three forums were hosted by the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in 2011 and 2014, the conferences were held by the RA Ministry of Diaspora.
