YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan/Armenpress)–The Armenian Relief Cross of Armenia has organized a national conference on Armenian issues to be held in Yerevan–May 29-30–reported the ARC at a Thursday press conference held at its Yerevan headquarters. Topics of discussion addressed at the conference will be Armenia-Diaspora relations–particularly political–economic and cultural cooperation and integration.
The theme of "The ARC–Womens’ Groups in Armenia and Homeland-Diaspora Relations" will also be discussed. Stressing the necessity to resolve women’s issues in Armenia–ARC Armenia Regional Executive chairperson Alvart Petrossian said–"The country cannot advance and develop harmoniously when women have yet to participate in the process." She mentioned that even though there are more women than men in Armenia–"the politics of subordination of and disregard for women has to end."
More than 300 Armenian Relief Society members have come from around the world to attend the conference. According to Bedrossian–President Robert Kocharian will also attend the conference.
It was also reported at the conference–that ARC of Armenia will hold its regional convention which will elect a new regional executive body and chairperson. Bedrossian expressed hope that the convention would introduce a new generation of ARC leaders. The average age of ARC members is thirty.
The ARS general assembly will be held in the fall in Boston–Massachusetts–in the US–to elect a new central executive body and chairperson. According to the organization’s bylaws–Neither Alvart Bedrossian nor ARS central executive chairwoman Vanouhi Issajanian will be able to be reelected.
Arrangement for the reburial of the remains of Sosse Mayrig–were also discussed at the press conference. It was reported that the plan to transfer the national heroine’s remains from Egypt to Armenia was in progress for two years. Due to the efforts of the ARC–her remains are now in Armenia.
Issajanian stressed that the Defense Ministry has secured a place for Sosse Mayrig at the Yeraplour Martyrs’ Cemetery. She will have an official military burial.