Armenian National Committees Set Priorities on Artsakh, Armenia and Diaspora Advocacy
ANC International conference participants
The Conference of the Armenian National Committees, bringing together representatives of the worldwide ANC network, was held in Yerevan and Aghveran from September 25 to 28, at the invitation of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau and organized by the Armenian National Committee Central Council.
Ahead of the conference’s formal proceedings, delegates visited Yerablur Military Pantheon. At the conclusion of the conference, they met with the Catholicos of All Armenians, received His Holiness’s blessing, and expressed their support for the Mother See in light of the challenges it is currently facing. Meetings were also held with representatives of the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh and the two opposition factions in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia.
The conference agenda included a number of domestic political developments in Armenia shaped by external influence, as well as broader political processes affecting the Republic of Armenia’s external security environment. Participants held extensive discussions on Armenia’s relations and ongoing negotiations with Turkey and Azerbaijan, possible models of regional connectivity presented as serving regional unblocking, and the involvement of various international power centers in those processes.
It was emphasized that, irrespective of the positions and pressures of the authorities of the Republic of Armenia, the ANCs and offices will continue their work to secure international support for Armenia and help create the most favorable possible conditions for the country in the international arena.
Special attention was devoted to the far-reaching consequences of the Karabakh conflict and the resulting principal political priorities of the ANC network. These include, in particular, ensuring the realization of the right of return of the Armenians of Artsakh, securing the return of prisoners, supporting Artsakh’s state institutions, protecting Artsakh’s cultural heritage, defending the rights of Artsakh Armenians who have settled in Armenia, and securing international humanitarian assistance for them.
The conference also addressed initiatives undertaken to defend the rights of Armenians in different parts of the world, foremost among them efforts aimed at protecting the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem.
Participants also discussed ways to strengthen the ANC network and promote greater political engagement among Armenian youth. These included implementing a range of educational programs for young people and creating opportunities in different countries for Diaspora Armenian youth to establish themselves and advance in political life.
The latest Conference of the ANCs reaffirmed the commitment of the network of Armenian National Committees and offices operating in approximately thirty countries around the world to Armenia’s independent statehood and to the struggle for the restoration of the violated rights of the Armenian people, with the fundamental interests of the Armenian people as its foremost priority and an independent and continuously strengthening Armenian state as its goal.
