Armenia-Diaspora Conference Concludes With Announcement

YEREVAN—The 6th Armenia-Diaspora Conference concluded on Wednesday, with its participants approving an announcement that calls for the strengthening of the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora relations as the pillar for our nation.

Below is the text of the announcement .

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 2,800th anniversary 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 100th anniversary 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”