French AGBU Host "Armenian Security" Lecture Tour, Over 400 attend

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PRESS RELEASE

Friday, May 9, 2008

French AGBU Chapters Host "Armenian Security" Lecture Tour, Over 400
Attend

AGBU chapters in the French cities of Paris, Marseille, Valence and
Lyon, in cooperation with the Tchobanian Institute, organized a
lecture tour entitled "The Foundations for Armenian Security and Means
to Ensure It." The Tchobanian Institute is an independent research
center devoted to strategic studies in the South Caucasus, Asia Minor
and the Middle East.

With the participation of Armen Ayvazyan, director of the Ararat
Strategic Research Center and attending professor of Political Science
at the American University of Armenia (AUA), the first event took
place on April 4, 2008 in Paris, France. More than 150 people attended
the event at the city’s AGBU Alex Manoogian Centre. Varoujan Sirapian,
president and founder of the Tchobanian Institute, participated in the
lecture tour as moderator. Geopoliticist François Thual joined
Ayvazyan and Sirapian for the Paris leg of the tour.

After a presentation and analysis of the major threats that face
Armenia and Karabakh, Ayvazyan discussed the issues facing
Armenian-Turkish relations, including territorial sovereignty,
demographics, and the strategic importance of the Armenian-populated
territory of Javakhk in Georgia.

Thual offered a thorough analysis of the issues at hand and suggested
that political and strategic concerns excluded the possibility of
armed attacks on behalf of Azerbaijan and Turkey on Armenia. He said
the real danger facing Armenia was the shrinking population, which is
in stark contrast to the rapidly increasing population of neighboring
Azerbaijan. The presentations were followed by a question-and-answer
period when members of the public asked about Armenia’s demographic
crisis, as well as the current post-electoral situation in Armenia.

Among the distinguished guests attending the Paris lecture were Alexis
Govciyan, president of AGBU Europe, Nelly Tardivier-Henrot,
commissioner of last year’s "Year of Armenia" celebrations in France,
AGBU leaders, local Armenian clergy, community leaders, and
French-Armenian youth.

The tour continued on Tuesday, April 8, at the AGBU Centre in
Marseille and was attended by approximately 100 people. Michel
Guéviguian, vice-president of AGBU Marseille, introduced the event and
Robert Der Merguerian provided translation assistance throughout the
evening.

On Wednesday, April 9, Ayvazyan and Sirapian traveled to Valence in
southeastern France to speak to an audience of 100 at the local AGBU
centre. Philippe Panossian, president of AGBU Valence, welcomed the
audience that included members of the local town council, former AGBU
Valence leaders, as well as representatives of various French-Armenian
organizations.

The final stop was on Thursday, April 10, at the AGBU Centre in
Lyon. Attended by more than 80 people, the Lyon event was hosted by
Michel Sandjian, president of AGBU Lyon.

This lecture tour is the latest in AGBU Europe’s continuing program of
conferences and debates on the geostrategic questions concerning
Armenia within the framework of European institutions.

Established in 1906, AGBU () is the world’s largest
non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in New York City with
an annual budget of $34 million, AGBU preserves and promotes the
Armenian identity and heritage through educational, cultural and
humanitarian programs, annually serving some 400,000 Armenians on six
continents.

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