SECOND CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN ARMENIANS STARTS ITS PROCEEDINGS IN BRUSSELS
Noyan Tapan
Oct 16, 2007
BRUSSELS, OCTOBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The second conference of the
European Armenians started its proceedings in Brussels on October
15. Delagates of the Armenian communities from approximately thirty
countries, from EU member countries, Switzerland, Norway, Russia, and
Near East, in particular, are taking part in the two-day conference
being held in the subsidiary building of the European Parliament.
Aram I, the Catholicos of the Great Cilician House, Franco Frattini,
the Deputy Chairman of the European Commission and Commissioner for
Justice, and Hilda Choboyan, a representative of Hay Dat (Armenian
Cause) in Europe, made opening speeches at the conference dedicated
to the 20th anniversary of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide
by the European Parliament.
Accoring to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the Press
and Information Department of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Vardan Oskanian, the RA Minister of Foreign Affairs, made a speech
in the first sitting of the conference. The Minister mentioned in his
speech the up-to-dateness of the decision adopted with regard to the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the European Parliament in
1987 and drew parallels between the discussions conducted in respect
of the resolution recognizing the genocide being discussed in the
U.S. House of Representatives. Vardan Oskanian touched upon the
recent criticism and threats sounded by Turkey with regard to that
problem and introduced the RA approaches concerning the discussions
of U.S. Congress and the interpretations made concerning them.
The Minister mentioned that yet 20 years ago the European Parliament
made such a decision, which is up to date at present as well. It gave
an opportunity to introduce the Armenian Cause in the international,
that is, European context.
Former MPs of the European Parliament, Kristian Ter-Stepanian,
the Head of the representation of Armenia in the Council of Europe,
as well made speeches at the conference.
The speeches of Peter Semnebi, the European Union Special
Representative for South Caucasus, Bernard Fassier, the Co-Chairman
of the OSCE Minsk Group, and Sabina Freiser, the Director of the
European Program of the International Crisis Group, are scheduled
for October 16.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
