I just returned from a three-day conference in Yerevan where 40 Armenian activists, journalists, and representatives of various political, religious, and cultural organizations from 18 countries (Argentina, Armenia, Artsakh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Netherlands, Russia, Syria, United States, and Uruguay) attended closed-door briefings from senior government officials.
The attendees met with the vice-speaker and chairs of all parliamentary committees; the president’s chief of staff, Vigen Sargsyan; Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian; Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan; National Security Council Secretary Artur Baghdasaryan; Constitutional Court Chairman Gagik Harutunyan; and President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan.
Since the briefings dealt with sensitive political and national security issues and were off-the-record, I can only disclose the general topics without attribution to a specific speaker or participant:
— Armenia’s decision to join the CIS Custom’s Union instead of signing the European Association Agreement
— Threats to Armenia’s national security and efforts to neutralize them
— Preparations for possible international legal action against Turkey to secure restitution for the Armenian Genocide
— Plans for the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide
— Status of signed but not ratified Armenia-Turkey Protocols
— Superior morale of victorious Armenian soldiers, an advantage over Azeris in a renewed war with Azerbaijan
— The diaspora’s participation in the economic development of Armenia and Artsakh
The conference, organized by the Diaspora Ministry, provided participants the rare opportunity to offer their critical assessment of the situation in the Homeland and to openly question Armenia’s and Artsakh’s highest officials. The political leaders and their diasporan guests emphasized the urgent need for a framework or structure that would coordinate the efforts of Armenians in Armenia, Artsakh, and the diaspora. During the conference and media interviews, I proposed the creation of a pan-Armenian committee that would include representatives from Armenia, Artsakh, and the diaspora to deal expressly with the critical needs of Artsakh, similar to the Centennial Committee for the Armenian Genocide, except that the Artsakh committee would be of a permanent nature.
On Sept. 21, the conference participants were invited to attend the special presidential reception in celebration of Armenia’s Independence Day. The evening ended with an impressive concert and fireworks show in Republic Square.
Prior to arriving in Yerevan, I attended the spiritually uplifting consecration of Moscow’s Armenian Cathedral, which reportedly cost tens of millions of dollars contributed by generous Russian-Armenian businessmen. The magnificent church structure and the nearby community center are expected to play a critical role in preserving the Armenian language and Christian faith for the two million Armenians living in Russia. The Sept. 17 consecration ceremony was attended by the presidents of Armenia and Artsakh, Catholicos Karekin II, high-ranking Armenian clergymen from around the world, and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. Russian President Putin did not attend due to his absence from Moscow.
On this august occasion, a series of concerts, receptions, and banquets were held in Moscow, hosted by the Armenian Diocese of Russia for the large number of guests from throughout the world. In appreciation, Catholicos Karekin II recognized the two dozen benefactors of the cathedral by bestowing upon them the highest honorific medals of the Armenian Church.
While in Moscow, I attended several jewelry-related events, organized by prominent Armenian jewelers in Russia. For the first time in a hundred years, an Armenian, Gagik Gevorkyan, the president of Estet Jewelry House, was elected head of the prestigious Russian Jewelers Guild. Gevorkyan sponsored the lavish annual Jewelry Charity Ball at his company’s headquarters in Moscow, which was attended by over a thousand jewelers and their families, including well-known Armenian jewelers from France, Canada, and the United States.
With a sense of great pride, I watched members of the Armenian Jewelers Association from Russia and North America address the distinguished guests at the International Jewelry Economic Forum and display their precious handiwork at JUNWEX, the XII International Jewelry and Watch Exhibition.
Before departing Moscow, I gave several TV interviews and participated in a panel discussion on Hayk Demoyan’s new book, Turkey’s Foreign Policy and the Karabagh Conflict.
Despite the hectic schedule, my journey to Moscow and Yerevan opened up important networking opportunities for closer collaboration between Armenia and the two largest diaspora communities of Russia and the United States.
Harut Sassounian
Interesting article, but does not throw any light on the issues we are faced with.
And what does jewelry related events affect Armenians in Armenia or the Diaspora?
day by day we are getting better in getting organized,better prepared and better equipped to continue the struggle to integrate and be part of the world body, however much work is ahead of us and careful planning and carrying the plans need work,
therefore to make it short I do support H Sassounian to represent me and my peers in the US to this task on his own merits and experience
On his own merits?
Mind you, I did not use other word ¨experience¨that you used.
Now why do I begin to discuss with you Harut´s capabilities?
Firstly I not only think and believe he is our man , as Diaspora¨spokesperson¨¨ spokesman, if you will, this side of the ocean but have quite a few times written here so.
However,though I do not for a minute doubt his merits in this respect,i.e. defend Diaspora Armenians rights wherever it may ensue,I nevertheless think it wise and to the benefit of all of us that he cooperate with other of our such in order that the ,in case, just in case he misses on something, the other(s) will give him a hand.
Last night-this a bit unrelated to the issue,but none the less comes to show there are otheer areas that if Harut does not professionally cover, others do-let me carry on. Thjere was this discussion table of Anderson Cooper w/rgd to Iranian pres. Rouhani´s statments etc.Participants ,four more,one our Mark geragos,then Christian Amanpour and Anna Navarro and another whose name escapes m e now. Thje discussion went on then bearing down on how Pres. Rouhani had publicly admitted(unlike his predesessor) that the Holocaut did indeed take place,by the Nazis etc.
After many had opined from different angles, why NOW this change of attitude…( and I was becomimng impatient and hopefully that our man there would bring up and mention our Genocide!!!!
Kudos to our able Attorney there ,Mark Geragos,at the right moment he said to the effect,or perhaps his rights words¨ While our best ally Turkey also denies the Armenian Genocide!!!
I was gratified and glad that somehow we had a person like him at the right place.
Now why did I bring this up???? Sam….
Because Teamwork and more than one person working for the nation -in this case specifically the Diaspora-is needed and these in constant touch with ea other…
That is why i havde in my ¨
papers¨always made certain that we have From our different fields of professions our Elected reps- and these in Inter-professional Colleageus ASsoc.(we must spoon bring this into reality)
To surmis,I do have special respect and admire harut´s voluntarily taking upon himself to defend Diaspora´s rights and report quite well.But like I said ,Teamwokr can achieve much more.One filling the vaccum so to say the other leaves open .-etc.,