in Russian – https://aga-tribunal.info/conf-3-3-2021/

March 3-4, 2021 took place a web (via Zoom) conference “The Christian historical-cultural heritage of the peoples of the Armenian Highlands and the adjacent territories”.

Below is a list of the reports and participants.

Text of the report of M. Piotrovsky (in Russian) – here.

Organizers:

• Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe,
• Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin
• The Club of Vienna – Pan-European Centre for Political and Economic Analysis and Prognoses – Alliance for Peace Defence (PАNАP – Alliance for Peace Defence)

Executive Secretary:

• Tatevik Grigorian – lawyer, UK
• Harutyun Khudanyan – historian, employee of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences, Armenia

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:

• Ass.Prof. Dr.Dr. Jasmine Dum-Tragut B.N.Sc. – Head of the Center for the Study of the Christian East, Head of Dept. of Armenian Studies. University of Salzburg, Austria
• Prof. Dr. Ac. Ashot Melkonyan – Doctor of History, Professor, Academic of Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Director of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences, Armenia
• Karine Gevorgyan – political scientist, orientalist, representative of the Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe, Russia
• H.E. Bishop Tiran Petrosyan – Pontifical Legate of the Armenian Apostolic Church for Central Europe and Scandinavia, Austria
• FATHER Garegin – Armenian Apostolic Church, Etchmiadzin, Armenia

21 participants, by countries:

• Armenia – 8
• UK – 4
• Austria, USA, Slovakia, Russia – each 2
• Sweden -1

Opening by the moderator Dr. Ashot Grigorian – President of the Forum of Armenian Associations of Europe and co-chairman The Club of Vienna – Pan-European Centre for Political and Economic Analysis and Prognoses – Alliance for Peace Defence (PАNАP – Alliance for Peace Defence), Slovakia

Opening speeches:

• His Holiness Karekin II. Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians (text of the speech in Armenian, in English)
• The Baroness Cox, of Queensbury – member and Former Vice Speaker of the British House of Lords, Sociologist and Renowned Human Rights Defender, UK
• Prof. Dr. Mikhail Piotrovsky – General Director of the State Hermitage Museum, Russia
• The Rt Rev. and the Rt Hon. The Lord Carey of Clifton – former Archbishop of Canterbury, UK
• The Most Hon. The Marquess of Reading, UK
• The Very Rev. Cor Episcopos Prof. Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo – International Director of Barnabas Fund, UK
• H.E. Bishop Tiran Petrosyan – Pontifical Legate of the Armenian Apostolic Church for Central Europe and Scandinavia, Austria

Time limit: reports for 15 minutes, questions and discussions – for 5 minutes.

Video (45 minutes)

Presentations:

13:45-14:00 (CET)

1. The Baroness Cox, of Queensbury Founder and CEO Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, UK.

Topic: ‘The Preservation of Armenia’s Spiritual and Cultural Heritage’

14:00 – 14:05 Discussion, questions

14:05-14:20 (CET)

2. Prof. Dr. Svante Lundgren – Prof. Lund University, Sweden.

Topic: ‘Heritage terror – reasons and consequences’

14:20 – 14:25 Discussion, questions

14:25-14:40 (CET)

3. Pontifical Legate Pargev Martirosyan

Topic: ‘Catholicosate of Caucasian Albania and its Spiritual Heritage’

14:40 – 14:45 Discussion, questions

14:45-15:00 (CET)

4. Ass.Prof. Dr.Dr. Jasmine Dum-Tragut B.N.Sc. – Head of the Center for the Study of the Christian East, Armenian Studies. University of Salzburg, Austria

Topic: “Underreported and forgotten – Armenian Christians in Karabakh and Azerbaijan. A scrutinising look at reporting on worldwide persecution of Christians – and a critical look at minority and religious freedom legislation and practice in Azerbaijan.”

15:00 – 15:05 Discussion, questions

15:05 – 15:20 (CET)

5. Naira Zohrabyan – Journalist, public and political figure, deputy of the Armenian parliament, chairman of the “Prosperous Armenia” party, Armenia

Topic: “Cultural values of Artsakh, their safety and protection”

15:20 – 15:25 Discussion, questions

15:25-15:40 (CET)

6. Vladimír Palko – Former member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic and former Interior Minister of Slovakia

Topic: “Is the West able to protect the Christian heritage?”

15:40 – 15:45 Discussion, questions

15:45 -16:00 (CET)

7. Prof. Dr. Ac. Ashot Melkonyan – Doctor of History, Professor, Academic of Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Director of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences, Armenia

Topic: “will be specified later”

16:00 – 16:05 Discussion, questions

16:05 – 16:20 (CET)

8. Aram Alajajian – Architect and founder of Alajajian/Marcoosi Architects Inc., is member of the AIA, USA

Topic: “Preservation of Historical monuments in Western Armenia (Eastern Turkey) “

16:20 – 16:25 Discussion, questions

16:25 – 16:40 (CET)

9. Dr. Hamlet Petrosyan – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Armenia

Topic: “The monument and the sociery: Tigranakert of Artsakh”

16:40 – 16:45 Discussion, questions

16:45 – 17:00 (CET)

10. Karine Gevorgyan – political scientist, orientalist, representative of the Forum of the Armenian Unions of Europe, Russia

Topic: “Christian heritage of the Islamic Republic of Iran”

17:00 – 17:05 Discussion, questions

17:05 – 17:20 (CET)

11. Dr. Arsen Hakobyan – Candidate of Historical Sciences, Researcher at the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Armenia

Topic: “From Memorial of Deir ez-Zor to Cathedral of Shushi: Ethnic and Cultural Cleansing in Progress”

17:20 – 17:25 Discussion, questions

17:25 – 17:40 (CET)

12. Simon Maghakyan – Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Colorado Denver, USA and founder of Djulfa.com, USA

Topic: “The 1997-2006 cultural genocide of Nakhichevan’s Armenian past: documentary evidence”

17:40 – 17:45 Discussion, questions

17:45 – 18:00 (CET)

13. Tatevik Grigorian – Lawyer, UK

Topic: “Cultural genocide as a legal concept”

18:00 – 18:05 Discussion, questions

Discussion: 18:05 – 19:00 (CET)