Reporter-Ruben Safrastyan

 

On October 15-16, 2015, a scientific conference on “The Armenian Genocide-100: from Recognition to Reparation” dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide was held in NAS RA. The main topic of the discussion was the publicity of the facts, documents and legal and historical issues related to the Armenian Genocide, as well as the elimination of consequences, reparation and political and legal issues. The themes of the reports of the  two-day conference was on historiography of the Armenian Genocide, geopolitics the Armenian issue, cultural genocide, as well as the reflection of the Armenian Genocide in art, literature,  political, legal and socio-economic issues of elimination and reparation of the consequences of the Genocide. The conference was attended by more than a hundred historians and specialists of Genocide Studies from Armenia, Russia, Germany, Greece, Austria, Hungary, the USA, Ukraine, France, Canada and Poland.

President of NAS RA, academician, professor Radik Martirosyan delivered  his welcoming speech addressing to the participants of conference. He represented all the scientific and cultural events held throughout the year in Armenia and Diaspora with the support of the state commission of genocide, noting in particular the active participation of foreign scholars in the events. According R. Martirosyan this conference summarizes all the events organized before. 

Then, the welcoming speech of the President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan was delivered to those presents. “Dear participants, I heartily congratulate you on the occasion of the opening of the international conference "Armenian Genocide – 100: from Recognition to Reparation". It is not by chance that such Research conferences have a special place in the list of the many events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide”. I think this conference is different from the others as it bears the title "the recognition to reparation" and being dedicated to the profound study of a wide range of issues on the Armenian Genocide, a special attention is paid to the issues of the elimination  the consequences of the Genocide and issues of Reparation. Once again I greet the organizers of this important conference - the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and Yerevan State University; I wish the participants fruitful work. "

The message of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, was delivered to the participants of the conference too. “Holy See St. Echmiadzin greets the participants of the conference "Armenian Genocide - 100. From recognition to Reparation" organized by the efforts of YSU and NAS RA. As people who survived the genocide, we direct our struggle, efforts for the announcement of the consequences of the criminal policy carried out by Turkey in the 20th century and to prevent further similar steps so as the biblical right of people’s free and peaceful life wouldn’t be  violated in this world. We consider it our duty to raise the issue of such criminal political steps in various international platforms. "

The message of the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I also delivered to the participants. The rector of Yerevan State University, associate member of NAS RA Aram Simonyan and Chairman of the Association of Armenologists of US Gevorg Bardakchyan delivered their reports. 

"Dear participants let me express my gratitude on the organization of this conference and express hope that it will lead to a new scientific level of our efforts and contribution to the study of the history of the Armenian Genocide and the elimination of its consequences. We started the year with the slogan recognition and reparation and by our steps we showed  that the Armenian people has a strong will.  We proved that we can unite around one idea, demanding a fair solution to the problem, "- said A. Simonyan in his speech.

The opening ceremony was followed by a plenary session. Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor, associate member of the National Academy of Sciences, academician, director of the Institute of History of RA Academy of Sciences Ashot Melkonyan spoke about the international process of Genocide recognition and reparation issues. He touched upon the adoption of a special resolution of the Uruguay Parliament on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in 1965. Then he represented the resolutions adopted by France, Italy, Belgium, Lebanon, Sweden, and some US states, condemning the genocide. According to Ashot Melkonyan, we have another task - to achieve the demand of territorial reparation, because the Armenian Genocide is an event where the Armenian people in addition to the physical extermination of their ethnicity simultaneously were subjected to homeland deprivation. 

The representative of Russia Ruslan Shulga presented some issues to overcome the consequences of the Armenian Genocide, particularly he spoke about the issues of recognition and reparation. He noted the importance of certain directions to overcome the consequences of the genocide; the territorial reunification with their historical homeland, financial compensation to descendants of the genocide victims and moral recognition of the Genocide. Orientalist-Turkologist, academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Doctor of History, Professor, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies Ruben Safrastyan, in his report presented the diplomacy against genocide, as well as a number of issues on the preparation and adoption of Declaration of the three countries of the Entente on the May 1915. He spoke about the leaders of the Ottoman Empire and Germany, and their further actions.