Young Professionals in London Hold Inaugural Conference on Armenians in Europe

The Armenian community of London has always played a larger role than their numbers suggest in the European Armenian community and, on March 22, 2007, AGBU Young Professionals of London (YP London) proved their dedication to that leadership role by holding a special conference for college academics and politicians on the topic of Armenians and the European Union.

Under the leadership of Inside Europe Director Nicolas Tavitian and AGBU YP London Chairwoman Armine Afrikian, the conference on Armenians in Europe took place under the auspices of the shared project on the Armenian Diaspora and Europe coordinated by Inside Europe (Brussels), "Nouvelles d’Armenie" magazine (France), and "Orer" publication (Czech Republic).

The speakers at the conference reviewed European politics that affect Armenians, while highlighting the relationship between the EU and Armenia, and addressed the question of Turkey’s EU membership bid.

Suzan Pattie, Director of the London Armenian Institute and Professor at the University College London, opened the conference with a presentation on the European Diaspora. Pattie claimed that the diasporas play a leading role in the creation of a European identity and underlined the originality and the importance of the Armenian network across the European continent, making the Armenian model “European” in a certain fashion.

Europe in Armenia

Armine Ishkhanian, Director of Conferences at the London School of Economics (LSE), emphasized the support role that different European institutions play in Armenia in the reform process, which ultimately leads towards the establishment of a civil society.

The Member of European Parliament for London, Charles Tannock, reminded the audience that Armenia, which is deeply impacted by these political decisions, was at first excluded. It was the European Parliament which later succeeded in including it. Tannock believes that Armenia has an important future, being "a country closer to what Europe represents than most of our other neighbors."

The Ambassador of Armenia to the United Kingdom, Dr. Vahe Gabrielyan, also emphasized the importance of the contribution of the European Union towards reforms in Armenia. Eventually, according to Gabrielyan, it is the identification of Armenian citizens with Europe that serves as the impetus for reforms and the foundation for relations between Armenia and the EU.

Turkey in Europe

Journalist Jonathan Fryer, Chairman of the Liberal International British Group, spoke about his great familiarity with Armenia and its diaspora, and also mentioned his close friendship with assassinated editor Hrant Dink. Fryer spoke about his support for Turkey’s application to join the EU, commenting that the country still needs to reform before reaching European standards, including the official acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide. He called on Armenians to make a pledge to Europe: "As Armenians, you have a pluralistic identity. You are Armenians, or British, French, Belgians, but you are also Europeans. Sometimes the diasporas are so much engrossed in their problems that they forget to subscribe to the European context in which they live."

While Fryer opened the debate on Turkey, Ara Sarafian continued the discussion. A historian and editor, he argued for a direct accord with Turkey, "Turkey is a country in transition, and it is in our interest to be in accord with it, in favor of democratization."

Hratch Koundardjian, political consultant and parliamentary advisor, Aegis Trust, stated that utmost importance should be given to European institutions, which, independent of their power of decision, are becoming one of the meeting points of international politics. He insisted that the EU be given more importance by Armenians and invited each one of the participants at the conference to start making contact with their elected European representatives. The AEGIS foundation, he explained, had made efforts to galvanize the Western governments in favor of the prevention of contemporary genocides. It was the major organizer of the Rwandan Genocide Exhibit at the United Nations in New York, which was cancelled at the request of Turkey due to a sentence mentioning the Armenian Genocide.

Several students and European experts on regional and international relations initiated the discussions that followed the presentations.

This conference was the first in a series that is being continued in several European capitals, to follow up on the debate over various European political facets of interest to the Armenians. The second was held on May 26, 2007 in Valence, France during a weekend of activities organized by AGBU. The third took place in Sofia, Bulgaria on June 23, 2007. More conferences will take place in various European locations in the coming months.

Established in 2006, AGBU YP London is dedicated to preserving and promoting the Armenian heritage and identity through educational, cultural, and humanitarian programs. For more information on YP London, please email yp@agbu.org.uk.