Yerevan, Armenia (18.09.2024) – The second Global Armenian Summit, organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, is currently taking place in Yerevan.
On the first working day, the summit hosted 2 panel sessions and 9 discussions, featuring formats such as sessions, roundtables, debates.
The central theme of the day was “Security & Resilience,” with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan serving as the keynote speaker.
High Commissioner Zareh Sinanyan emphasized the importance of a state-centered Diaspora during a special session.
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Another session on “Analysing Armenia’s Security” featured key speakers such as Armen Grigoryan, RA Security Council Secretary, Andranik Kocharyan, Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defense and Security, Anna Ohanyan, Richard B. Finnegan Distinguished Professor of International Relations at Stonehill College, Nerses Kopalyan, Professor at the University of Nevada, and Dr. Ruben Galichyan, Cartographer, Honorary Doctor of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. The session was moderated by Armine Margaryan, president of the “Women and Global Security Architecture” think tank.
Discussions on the protection of the rights of Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh featured speakers such as Yeghishe Kirakosyan, RA Representative on international legal issues, Vilen Gabrielyan, National Assembly Member, Raffi Philippe Kalfayan, French-Armenian scholar, Dr. Sara Babaian, Expert on International Negotiations & Conflict Consulting, and Andranik Grigoryan, President of the Human Rights Union of Nagorno-Karabakh. The session was moderated by Tatevik Khachatryan, Senior Program Manager at the Democracy Development Foundation.
The summit also addressed advocacy issues and Armenian interests, featuring speakers such as Jackie Speier, former US Congresswoman, Paula Yacoubian, Lebanese Parliament Member, Mariam Khaloyan, Congressional Relations Director at the Armenian Assembly of America, and Anthony Portantino, California State Senator. The session was moderated by Gayane Abrahamyan, Founder & President of the For Equal Rights Educational Center NGO, Founder & Director of Article 3 Human Rights Club, and former Deputy of the National Assembly of Armenia.
The “Soft Power & Cultural Diplomacy” session, moderated by Margarita Baghdasaryan, Associate Director of the USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies, featured key speakers such as Daniel Danielyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia, Michael Goorjian, Actor and Filmmaker, Peter Kapsaskis, President of the Hellenic Institute of Cultural Diplomacy, Elina Avanesyan, a Top 50 WTA-ranked Tennis Player, and Sergey Smbatyan, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Armenian Symphony Orchestra.
At the “International Media & Countering Misinformation” session, the speakers included Eric Hagopian, Political Analyst and Consultant, owner of EDH and Associates, Narine Nazaryan, Director of Armenpress News Agency, Co-founder of Boost+ Production, and Karena Avedissian, Senior Analyst at the Regional Center for Democracy and Security. The session was moderated by Sara Anjargolian, International Development Strategic Advisor.
At the session “National Resilience: Key Initiatives for Armenia’s Security” the speakers included Haykuhi Minasyan, President of the NGO “Zinvori Tun,” Aline Kamakian, Chef Corps Member at World Central Kitchen, Gevorg Safaryan, Founder of Earlyone, Founder and CEO of Limetech, Gituzh Member, Tatiana Hovhannisyan, Co-Founder and CEO of VIVA Foundation, Vaghinak Vartanov, Deputy Head of VOMA NGO, and Andre Gumuchdjian, Founder and Director of My Forest Armenia NGO. The session was moderated by Magda Aghababyan, Founder of Hoateia (Pvt) Ltd.
The session “Reaffirming Narratives: Armenia’s Security” was held in a debate format and featured speakers such as Garo Paylan, Visiting Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Hrachya Arzumanian, Independent Expert in Security Studies, Alain Navarra-Navassartian, Professor at the University of Bologna and President of HYESTART, Armine Margaryan, President of the “Women and Global Security Architecture” Think Tank, Gohar Iskandaryan, Expert in Iranian Studies and Chair of the Department of Iranian Studies at the National Academy of Sciences, Aram Sargsyan, Founding President of the “Republic” Party and Former Prime Minister of Armenia, Asbed Kotchikian, Associate Professor at the American University of Armenia and Lecturer in Political Science at Bentley University, and Leonid Nersisyan, Senior Research Fellow at APRI Armenia. The debate was moderated by TV hosts Zhirayr Voskanyan and Astghik Sargsyan from 1in.am.
The participants of the Global Armenian Summit also engaged in discussions on Armenian identity, culture, and branding through 16 roundtable sessions. These discussions aimed to challenge existing stereotypes and outline changes that reflect the evolving realities of the modern world.
Hranush Kharatyan, Ethnographer, and Aram Pakchanyan, Chairman of the Board of the Ayb Educational Foundation, participated in the discussion “Reaffirming the Narrative: A New Look at Armenia for the World.” The discussion was moderated by journalist Mark Grigoryan.
On the first day of the second Global Armenian Summit, the Emerging Security Technologies & Innovations Expo showcased 20 companies from different sectors of the security industry.
Attendees explored the companies’ offerings, networked, and discussed potential collaborations.
The day ended with a special concert by the State Symphony Orchestra of Armenia, featuring compositions by renowned Armenian composers.
The summit’s main partner is Evocabank, and Armenpress State News Agency is the information partner.
