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Սիրելի հայրենակիցներ։
Ձերմորեն շնորհավորում ենք Հայության եւ Հայաստանի Ամանորն ու Սուրբ Ծնունդը եւ մաղթում ենք Ձեզ ամենայն բարիք։
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Дорогие друзья поздравляем с Новым 2018 Годом и Рождеством Христовым!
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Chers amis, Bonne Année 2018 et Joyeux Noël!
Friends,
We are on the threshold of a New Year, year 2018. Although we celebrate this every year, we are always happy to usher the year in as something new, hoping that the wishes we make at the stroke of midnight do come true.
New Year’s Eve is above all a family celebration. We mark it just as we did when we were children, with presents and pleasant surprises, as well as with a special warmth and expectation for change.
Change will certainly come to our lives if each of us takes care of our parents and values every minute we spend with them, if we try to better understand our children and their aspirations and dreams, and if we support those nearest to us who need our help and our generosity.
The ability to help, to show concern and understanding for others and to do good deeds fills our lives with true human meaning. As we celebrate, be it with family and friends, or out in the streets, we all share the same festive mood, while modern technology allows us to share our feelings with our nearest and dearest who may be hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away.
As usual, my special words are extended to those who are working at the moment, who are doing their military or professional duty at hospitals or on board aircraft or trains.
We are all together on this wonderful New Year’s night. We are also together in our everyday life as well. Unity, friendship and selfless love for Russia multiply the strength we need for worthy deeds and high achievements.
I am sincerely grateful to all of you for believing in yourself and in our country, for your work and its results. I hope there will always be trust and mutual understanding in your life.
Friends,
A New Year, year 2018 will begin in just a few seconds. This is the time when we should say the most important words to each other, forgive one another’s mistakes and forget old grudges.
Embrace, say words of love, and show that you really care. May the life of each family and individual improve for the better, may you all be healthy, may children be born that make us happy.
I wholeheartedly wish happiness and all the very best to all of you, as well as peace and prosperity to Great Russia, our one and only homeland.
Happy New Year!
Honorable Citizens of the Republic of Armenia,
Dear Compatriots,
I would like to express my gratitude to you just a few minutes before bidding farewell to 2017. I am grateful to Armenia’s soldiers and simple country folk, intellectuals and business people, I am grateful to everyone for dedication, patriotism and patience. Mat the faith we have for our people and the future of the country invigorate us throughout the coming year.
At this moment, we have gathered around festive tables with our family members. Every one of us is summing up the outgoing year, thanking God. Let us see 2018 in with a positive feeling of friendship and kinship.
2017 was a year of successive work and implementation of serious projects. The pace of large-scale transformations was not down at all; moreover, we implemented them with ever greater determination. The achievements we had this year are first of all your own achievements. And yet, we have much to do in order to consolidate the foundations of the Armenian statehood and society.
Our ambitions are great, and we will be consistent in implementing them. We will continue to defend Artsakh’s legitimate rights and interests. The work done by the authorities should be felt by every citizen of Armenia and instill a feeling of confidence in us. We have a wonderful country, and we should be proud of being a citizen of such a country.
Dear Compatriots,
In 2017, we elected a new national assembly. The electoral campaign was too keen, but the atmosphere was constructive. We avoided hostility and social divide, which matters more than the number of votes. This is another sound trend that should be built on in the New Year. Mutual respect, tolerance and consolidation must set benchmarks in Armenia’s political life.
Next year we will complete our transition to the new system of governance. It is noteworthy that we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Armenia at the same time. We can state confidently that we will usher in this jubilee with more cohesive and well-established social and political institutions.
We are going to get our fellow countrymen back to Armenia. They will be back seeing that a great deal of work has to be done in Homeland. The chief objective of our work is to open up new horizons and opportunities, provide a wider field of activity for each Armenian citizen.
Dear Compatriots,
In 2017, we stepped up our efforts to build the armed forces of Armenia. As a result, we expect that those parents seeing off their sons to the army might feel confident that their son is called up to serve in well-organized and highly disciplined armed forces. Let us wish our soldiers good service. Let us thank them for protecting our peace.
One more year is going to join the line-up of Armenia’s millennia-long history and the years of our emerging independent statehood. Let the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora trinity continue to strengthen in 2018; may our borders be safe and our homes – hospitable.
Let us raise a glass to wish peace to the Armenian world, as well as warmth and cohesion to our families. Always remember that the foundation of our country is the family.
May our hearth and home always be blessed with an atmosphere of love, affection, care and understanding!
Happy New Year and Christmas!
President.am
The so-called political program of the West «Greater Middle East» has been used for almost 30 years. Publications, maps and articles on this issue provide an opportunity to get an idea that in the course of implementing this program, in future, the fragmentation of existing states in the region and the emergence of new national, religious and state entities are expected.
At the same time, of course, they talk a lot about the rights of indigenous peoples and ethno-confessional minorities. Moreover, steps are being taken to implement these rights, as well as to ensure their legitimacy. One of such steps is the organization and holding the referendum on the independence of the Kurds of the Northern Iraq on September 25, 2017.
This referendum, as well as the rights of indigenous peoples and ethno-confessional minorities in the region, are not purely local issues. They concern everyone.
Therefore, the natural question arises: how will the future of the Armenians, Kurds, Assyrians, Alevites, Turks and other peoples be in the context of the above mentioned program and what is the final settlement of the region’s problems in case such key decision is generally possible to find in the foreseeable future?
In this aspect, apparently two processes are possible to launch:
Here it is appropriate to recall that the rights of the Armenian people were recognized as early as 1918-1920, but up to this day they have not been realized. Therefore, it would be natural if parallel to the themes put into circulation today, the issue of the rights granted to the Armenian people would become a matter of discussion.
It is worth mentioning that according to the decision of the Armenian Question in 1918-20, the relevant resolutions have already been adopted, including: Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation (SNK) «On Turkish Armenia» («On Western Armenia», January 11, 1918); the signing of the Treaty of Sevres (August 10, 1920); Arbitral decision of the 28th US President Woodrow Wilson concerning the borders between Armenia and Turkey (November 22, 1920).
The Sevres Peace Treaty provided autonomy for Kurdistan, and defined the boundaries of the autonomy, as stated in the Article 62 of the treaty: «A commission sitting in Constantinople and consisting of three members appointed by the governments of Britain, France and Italy respectively, within six months of entry by virtue of this Treaty, drafts a local autonomy for the Kurdish areas predominantly, located to the east of the Euphrates, south of the southern border of Armenia … and to the north of the Turkish border with Syria and Mesopotamia and. … This project must provide full guarantees for the protection of the Assyrian and Chaldean and other racial or religious minorities in these areas …».
By the way, this aspect is mentioned in the recently published article in one of the leading Turkish newspapers – «Cumhuriyet». In this article, in particular, it is noted: «In the long term, Ankara has no alternative but to recognize the independent Kurdistan, to resolve the Armenian Question and for Azerbaijan to recognize the independence of Nagorniy Karabakh».
Consequently, it can be stated that the future of the Armenian people is connected with the final and complete settlement of the Armenian Question, including the establishment of the Republic of Western Armenia in Western Armenia. The future of the Kurds lies in the final arrangement of the Kurdish issue in accordance with the articles of the Treaty of Sevres. The future of modern Turkey is directly related to the final settlement of two problems mentioned above. For Turkey, the process of resolving of the Armenian Question and realizing the rights of the Kurds in accordance with the articles of the Treaty of Sevres is indisputable, and these civilized processes will undoubtedly have a beneficial effect on all the peoples living in the region.
Kemalists having chosen the democratic way of development of Turkey in the 1920s, achieved some successes in the economic and political development of the state. However, this option can no longer work and develop itself, because, on the one hand, it is directly linked to the new political and civil processes in Turkey, and on the other hand, to the Armenian Question, which remains unresolved for several centuries in the country and in the region, and also in parallel – with the Kurdish issue.
It turns out that Turkey, even with the strongest desire from both sides, can join neither the European nor the Eurasian integration processes, since in both cases two unresolved issues mentioned above will be decisive. So the aspiration to get around these two problems and the programs of such a bypassing are actually programs to prevent the development of the Middle East and Turkey. As we have already noted, the Constitutional Court of France acted in this way when it obstructed the approval of the bill on the criminalization of the denial of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey, thereby blocking one more opportunity of Turkey’s development.
There is no alternative to civilized development and there it cannot be.
This applies to Armenia, Kurds, Turkey, and the entire Middle East in general. The earlier the opposite parties understand and accept the essence of the problem, the less the peoples of the region will suffer.
Armen Ter-Sarkisyan,
The President of the National Assembly (Parliament) of Western Armenia
05.12.2017
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Translated by Valentina Barashyan
The Vatican has released colorful stamp series celebrating Pope’s trips in 2016, among them visits to Mexico, Poland, Greece, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Sweden.
The stamp dedicated to Armenia shows Pope against the background of Tsitsernakaberd – the memorial complex honoring the victims of the Armenian Genocide. The official website of the Vatican noted that the author of the stamp is Daniela Longo.
11.11.2017. President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump today, meeting on the margins of the APEC conference in Da Nang, Vietnam, confirmed their determination to defeat ISIS in Syria. They expressed their satisfaction with successful US-Russia enhanced de-confliction efforts between US and Russian military professionals that have dramatically accelerated ISIS’s losses on the battlefield in recent months. The Presidents agreed to maintain open military channels of communication between military professionals to help ensure the safety of both US and Russian forces and de-confliction of partnered forces engaged in the fight against ISIS. They confirmed these efforts will be continued until the final defeat of ISIS is achieved.
The Presidents agreed that there is no military solution to the conflict in Syria. They confirmed that the ultimate political solution to the conflict must be forged through the Geneva process pursuant to UNSCR 2254. They also took note of President Assad’s recent commitment to the Geneva process and constitutional reform and elections as called for under UNSCR 2254. The two Presidents affirmed that these steps must include full implementation of UNSCR 2254, including constitutional reform and free and fair elections under UN supervision, held to the highest international standards of transparency, with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, eligible to participate. The Presidents affirmed their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence, territorial integrity, and non-sectarian character, as defined in UNSCR 2254, and urged all Syrian parties to participate actively in the Geneva political process and to support efforts to ensure its success.
Finally Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump confirmed the importance of de-escalation areas as an interim step to reduce violence in Syria, enforce ceasefire agreements, facilitate unhindered humanitarian access, and set the conditions for the ultimate political solution to the conflict. They reviewed progress on the ceasefire in southwest Syria that was finalised the last time the two Presidents met in Hamburg, Germany on July 7, 2017. The two presidents, today, welcomed the Memorandum of Principles concluded in Amman, Jordan, on November 8, 2017, between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America. This Memorandum reinforces the success of the ceasefire initiative, to include the reduction, and ultimate elimination of foreign forces and foreign fighters from the area to ensure a more sustainable peace. Monitoring this ceasefire arrangement will continue to take place through the Amman Monitoring Center, with participation by expert teams from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Russian Federation, and the United States.
The two Presidents discussed the ongoing need to reduce human suffering in Syria and called on all UN member states to increase their contributions to address these humanitarian needs over the coming months.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a sensational statement at the commemoration of the 79th anniversary of the death of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. “Turkey could not protect its borders at the beginning of the national liberation struggle,” Erdogan said. – The main reason for the threats emerging on the southern borders of Turkey is a departure from the goals of the liberation struggle.
If this were not the case, then today Turkey would be on a completely different level. The forces that forced Turkey to withdraw from the borders of the liberation struggle are now trying to force Ankara to return to the terms of the Treaty of Sevres. ” And he added that, “Considering the situation in Syria and Iraq, I believe that Turkey has no right to ignore the threats coming from the regions it claimed during the national liberation struggle”.
Let us note that Erdogan often returns to these pages of national history. In the autumn of 2016, he already called for a revision of the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, which formalized the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, when Turkey lost control over the provinces that were once part of the Ottoman Empire, including Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Tripolitania, Trans-Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria , the islands in the Aegean Sea and Mesopotamia.
However, then this statement by many political forces in the country, especially the opposition, was interpreted as “Erdogan’s desire to expose himself as a leader who again took the path of national liberation war with the goal of rallying the nation around him.” At the same time, some experts saw Erdogan’s aspiration to “straighten the borders of present-day Turkey in the formation of a new legal order in the Middle East in the course of the” Arab spring “. And what did the Turkish president mean now and why did he again start talking about the Treaty of Sevres with the reference to “forces trying to return Ankara to the terms of this treaty”?
Recall that on August 10, 1920 in the French city of Sevres, the Entente countries signed a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire, which formally formalized the division of its possessions in Europe and the Middle East. He foresaw the establishment of a Kurdish state in the region, and also, following the arbitration award of US President Woodrow Wilson of November 20, 1920, to Greater Armenia. Wilson introduced to the Allies the proposal that two-thirds of the Wilayettes Wan and Bitlis, almost the whole Erzrum vilayet, a significant part of the Trebizond vilayet, including the port, crossed to Armenia.
As a result, the territory of the “Wilson” Armenia could be about 150 thousand square meters. km and got access to the Black Sea. And with regard to independent Kurdistan, it was supposed that England, France and Turkey would jointly define its borders. However, the Treaty of Sevres was never ratified.
Now the epicenter has moved to Syria, where the Kurds, who are actively supported by the US, are in favor of granting them autonomy status. If this idea is implemented, according to Al Jazeera, the second Kurdish autonomy will appear in the Middle East, and eventually Turkey will have to convert from a unitary state to a federation. After that, the Kurds can take a course on independence. That is why Ankara was seriously alarmed by the statement of Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem that “Damascus is ready to discuss the idea of giving the Kurds more power after the end of the fight against IGIL” (an organization whose activities are banned in Russia) while “maintaining the state sovereignty of Syria”.
Of course, it is difficult to foresee the further development of events in Syria, Iraq, and Turkey in the reality that is now being formed. It is not by chance that they are once again recalling the new map of the Middle East, published in 2013 in the newspaper The New York Times by the American scientist of the US Institute of Peace Robin Wright. He believes that the result of the ongoing “Arab Spring” in the region should be the emergence of 14 states out of the existing five in the number of really existing “powerful nationalisms” covered by the “whirlpool of the civil war”. In addition, according to Wright, “interconfessional confrontation leads to a split between Sunnis and Shiites in such a scale that the modern Middle East has not yet seen.”
But so far the following is indisputable. The Middle East region, connected with an artificial and not coinciding with the areas of ethnic settlement of borders, has come into motion, which is unlikely to be stopped by anyone. Changes in the region directly affect the states of Transcaucasia, primarily Azerbaijan and Armenia. If the foundations of the Treaty of Lausanne collapse in 1923, both the Moscow and Kara agreements of the 1920s, which created the borders between Turkey and the Transcaucasian states, will collapse.
And then they will remember the Treaty of Sevres in 1920, by which, by the way, there is no signature of Russia. If now the south-east of Turkey passes under the control of the Kurds, the transfer to the Turks of Kars, Ardagan, Artvin and Surmalinsky County, stipulated by the Moscow Treaty, and Nakhichevan as a protectorate of the Azerbaijan SSR (now Azerbaijan), may be put under question.
Theoretically, the following geopolitical outlines can be identified: the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the Eastern Armenian Republic are allies of Russia, the Western Armenian Republic is under the Western protectorate. But, we repeat, all this will be directly connected with the processes of geopolitical transformation in the Greater Middle East. Moscow must be prepared for the alleged course of events, not only politico-military.
Finally, it can not be ruled out that the West will propose signing, under certain circumstances, a new agreement such as Sykes-Pico of 1916 on the division of spheres of influence in the Middle East. It is time to take the most serious historical decisions. President Erdogan will arrive in Sochi on November 13 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. So everything is not easy.
ORIGINES SOURCE – IA REGNUM
The main feature of public and political thought of the early 21st century is that the challenges facing the modern world often remain as they are. Yes, the world is in search of solutions to new problems, and this serves as a basis for many thinkers to consider the present a period of uncertainties. Books that help seek and find comprehensive solutions to the current challenges for foreign and Armenian political and historiographical thinkers are simply a necessity. In the case of the Armenians, they are more than in-demand since, as a society and an academic community, we Armenians can’t allow ourselves the luxury of staying behind the developments of intelligentsia in the world.
In this context, Hranush Hakobyan’s 652-page book “The Armenian Diaspora in the Changing World” is of high value and serves as a serious contribution to Diaspora studies and Armenian social sciences, which is valuable not only in terms of science, but also in terms of methodology and political science. This book, which is based on the fundamental theoretical models and approaches in modern social sciences, provides the formulas for overcoming the challenges of the modern world (active flows of migration, reciprocal penetration of cultures and globalization and the search for identity) with modern interpretations and on the background of the Armenian Diaspora.
It is clear that the current trends of migration and demography will force future thinkers to touch upon the various definitions and interpretations of the multi-layered concept of “Diaspora”. The rapid changes taking place in public life and the peculiarities of globalization will expand the content of the concept, importance will be attached to the identity of the person and nations, and the content and significance of Diaspora studies will be enriched. Hakobyan’s book “The Armenian Diaspora in the Changing World” is also important in that, besides the historical and political analysis, it also presents proposals and a vision for the partnership between Armenia and the Diaspora, which are like two vessels in contact with each other. In other words, it is an active algorithm for the development of relations, partnership and complementarity.
The author has dedicated the first chapter of the book to the origin and current description of the Armenian Diaspora. The origin of the Diaspora and Armenian communities is the condensation of the history of our nation. The author has managed to masterfully combine the rich palette of the Armenian Diaspora, the history of its development and the current state, touch upon the establishment of pan-Armenian networks, the tremendous efforts of Armenian schools, churches, cultural institutions, benevolent organizations and other structures and comprehensively present the role of Armenian communities in the international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide and the participation of Armenians in the development and advancement of world civilization. It is clear to see the in-depth and comprehensive knowledge of issues presented by the author, as well as the modernity and innovativeness of the ideas that are proposed. The recommendations are based on the knowledge of new instrumentation for unified and effective solutions to the challenges facing Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora and the achievement of a synergic outcome, which is important in terms of theoretical discussions and practical application.
The main emphasis in the second chapter of the monograph is on the growing risks and challenges in the rapidly changing world that had their negative impact on the Armenians. They make the unresolved issues of all Armenians issues that are the current objectives. Those issues are the following: exercise of the inviolable right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination; international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the inimical policy of Turkey and Azerbaijan against Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora. In this sense, Hakobyan’s recommendation is practical and very effective. Hakobyan recommends to strengthen our unified potential and to gear it towards the advancement and development of Armenia and Artsakh. The proposed formula is unity. The author is right when she starts placing emphasis on the importance of identity and the system of values strengthening the Armenian identity (the search for identity in the modern world will be the major factor that is characteristic of social relations). The Armenian language, Armenian culture, historical heritage and memory, family, Christianity and national institutions serve as the pillars of that identity.
The third chapter shows the author not only as a meticulous and gifted researcher, but also an experienced state figure with a broad vision. Hranush Hakobyan discloses the formula for the Armenia-Diaspora partnership and relations by comprehensively evaluating the new stage of the state policy, the constitutionalization of the Diaspora and the activities of the Ministry of Diaspora. Enrichment of the essence and content of the state policy on the Diaspora and the philosophy of the activities of the Ministry of Diaspora show the importance of participation, and this chapter of the monograph serves as a unique call in terms of consolidating the potential of the Armenian nation. The successes of Armenians will reinforce the Armenians and our identity.
The monograph “The Armenian Diaspora in the Changing World” also serves as a tremendous database with many tables and lists of names that make it even more comprehensive and make this modern and important book become of encyclopedic value.
Aram Ananyan
Director of “Armenpress” Armenian News Agency
Candidate of Historical Sciences
Presents the declaration adopted by the participants of the 6th Armenia-Diaspora Pan-Armenian Conference.
We,
the participants of the 6th Armenia-Diaspora Pan-Armenian Conference held under the title “Mutual Trust, Unity and Responsibility” in Yerevan on the threshold of the 100th anniversary of the declaration of the First Republic of Armenia, the 100th anniversary of the Battles of May 1918 and the 2,800thanniversary of the foundation of Erebouni-Yerevan,
Guided by the imperative of consolidation of the potential of all Armenians, ongoing dialogue and multi-layered engagement for the strengthening of the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora triumvirate;
Attaching importance to the joint enshrining of the goals of the nation, the development of plans for accomplishment of those goals, the provision of an opportunity for everyone to participate by different means and the awareness of all Armenians of their collective responsibility for the outcomes;
Taking into consideration the fact that the empowerment of the Republic of Armenia and the Artsakh Republic and the strengthening of their national security, further reinforcement of democratic institutions and systems of governance, dynamic economic development, increase of the living standard of the people and their spiritual, educational and cultural advancement, the preservation of the national identity and cultural development within the Armenian communities of the Diaspora are the guarantees of the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora triumvirate and the collective goals of the entire Armenian nation;
Considering consolidation around spiritual, moral and conventional values, strengthening of the Armenian family and stimulation of the birth rate as vital;
Reaffirming our pan-national responsibility for exercise, by the people of Artsakh, of their inviolable right to dispose their destiny freely, for the development of democracy in Artsakh and for its full-fledged integration into the international community;
Realizing the need for response to the current and potential challenges facing Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora through consolidation of the efforts of the State, the Armenian Church, pan-Armenian structures and community organizations and for the solution to pan-Armenian issues through combined efforts;
With the conviction that the dynamic growth of Armenian communities of the Diaspora in a changing world provides the opportunity to participate in the economic and cultural development of Armenia and Artsakh in a new way and help build a powerful homeland through that effort;
Stating that the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia enshrines the mission of the State to lead a policy on preservation of the Armenian identity and promote repatriation multilaterally, which will convey new quality and content to Armenia-Diaspora relations;
Certifying that the struggle of the Armenian nation for protection of its rights and restoration of justice is hinged on universal values and serves as one of the key benchmarks for our pan-national partnership;
Welcoming the process of formation of the Pan-Armenian Council as the ongoing development and enrichment of a unified agenda, as specification of the pan-national priorities, as consolidation of the intellectual potential of the nation and as the creation of a platform for high-level strategic dialogue;
Staying true to the principles stated in the Pan-Armenian Declaration on the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide;
We reaffirm our willingness to further strengthen the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora triumvirate in order to accomplish and resolve the following goals and issues together, with mutual responsibility and through consolidation of human, material and spiritual potential:
to empower the Republic of Armenia and the Artsakh Republic, strengthen the national security of the Republics and make them prosperous, consolidate the Armenian communities of the Diaspora, preserve the national identity and encourage repatriation;
to reach a peaceful and just resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and achieve international recognition of the exercise, by the people of Artsakh, of their right to self-determination;
to implement a more unified and coordinated policy for international recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide and elimination of the consequences of the Armenian Genocide planned and perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire and various administrations of Turkey and maintain the firm position, on the frontline, in the struggle of the international community for the prevention of genocides and crimes against humanity, considering this as a moral duty – hinged on universal values and international law – of a nation of genocide survivors to the whole international community;
in the process of international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, to further raise the level of awareness, attach importance to the preservation and transfer of historical memory and lead the struggle against denial and depreciation of the crime, including by legal force;
to strengthen the protection of Armenia, modernize the military-technical, technological and professional potential of the armed forces and enhance the military production complex as a driving force for economic development and technological advancement and as a key direction for implementation of the “Nation-Army” Concept Paper;
to lead a unified struggle against Armenophobia and anti-Armenian propaganda on different information platforms around the world and continue to implement practical programs and coordinated activities to neutralize the impact of such a policy;
to disseminate and strengthen the collective qualities of the national identity among young people, reinforce Armenian schools, bring up generations of Armenians with the spirit of “Armenianness”, introduce modern technologies in Armenian education and develop and implement new programs and projects for homeland recognition;
reinforce within Armenians love, solidarity, tolerance, trust and unity, ensure a favorable environment for Armenians to live in safety and to live a dignified life;
to combine efforts to resist and overcome the challenges facing Armenian communities and identify other potential challenges;
to show multilateral support to Armenians in the Middle East and particularly to the Armenians undergoing trials and tribulations in Syria, preserve Armenian institutions, historic and cultural monuments and cultural assets in that region;
to develop and implement programs for the enhancement of various spheres of activity in the settlements of Armenia and Artsakh (particularly borderline settlements);
to raise the level of awareness of the international community about Armenia and Artsakh, form a pan-Armenian agenda for that purpose and develop and implement a unified policy to achieve the goal through new and conventional institutions;
to exert combined efforts to preserve Armenian historical and cultural heritage in different countries, properly present Armenian culture in the world and help Armenian communities become self-organized;
to consolidate the potential of professionals of Armenia and the Diaspora to support the preservation, dissemination and regulation of the Western Armenian language and the teaching of Armenian and subjects devoted to Armenia and the Armenians in the Diaspora.
We, the participants of the conference, fully hope that all the structures and organizations of Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora, with broad engagement of young Armenians, properly celebrate the 100thanniversary of the First Republic of Armenia, the 100th anniversary of the Battles of May, as well as the 2,800th anniversary of the foundation of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
We guarantee that this DECLARATION will serve as a benchmark for all Armenians, the state authorities of the Republic of Armenia and the Artsakh Republic, the Armenian Church, as well as pan-Armenian and community structures and organizations to be consistent with the accomplishment of the pan-Armenian goals.
Participants of the 6th Armenia-Diaspora Pan-Armenian Conference
Yerevan – 20 September 2017
