First convention of European Armenians to take place at the European parliament

Noyan Tapan, Aug 12, 2004–The first Convention of European Armenians will take place at the European Parliament, Brussels, on October 18-19. According to the European Armenian Federation, this pan-European meeting will be a forum for sharing ideas and concerns on topics of importance to the Armenian communities across Europe. European citizens of Armenian descent now number more than two million, stemming from three large waves of immigration that resulted from the Genocide perpetrated by Ottoman Turkey (1915), war in the middle-east (1975) and the fall of the USSR (1991).

Though well integrated in the economic, social and cultural life of their new countries, they have kept their identity and their interest in Armenian issues. The topics to be discussed at the convention are as follows: Armenian culture and identity in Europe – Relations between the European Union and Armenia – The Stakes involved in European Union Enlargement. “With this first European Convention, we are not aiming to establish any superstructure that would replace the various organisations dealing with Armenian issues in Europe. Rather, we aim to create a framework for free expression that will enable the shared positions and opinions of the European communities to emerge,” Hilda Tchoboian, Chairwoman of the European Armenian Federation, stated.