SECOND CONVENTION OF EUROPEAN ARMENIANS
SET TO CONVENE THIS OCTOBER

-- Conferees to Develop New Armenian Expectations of an Evolving Europe
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - The growth of the Armenian community as a powerful voice
in the civic life of Europe will mark a major milestone with the convening,
this October, of the second Convention of European Armenians.
The pan European convention, to be held between October 15 and 16th in the
halls of the European Parliament, is being organized by the European
Armenian Federation. During two days of deliberations,
The two-day Convention, which comes on the 20th anniversary of the European
Union's landmark resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide, will provide
European citizens of Armenian heritage with the opportunity to share views,
discuss priorities, and build consensus on the current issues and future
challenges impacting Armenia and Armenians in a rapidly changing Europe.
Among the key issues to be addressed, both among the conferees and to
European leaders, include the EU's partial freezing of negotiations with an
increasingly intransigent Turkey, and the evolution of the Union's relations
with Armenia and the entire South Caucasus region.
The Convention will be organized around three main sessions:
* Twenty years of progress since the recognition of the Armenian genocide
by the European Parliament
* Europe's role in peace and security in the South Caucasus region
* Ongoing Armenian Genocide recognition efforts and the struggle to counter
Genocide denial
The European Armenian Federation will soon send European Armenian
associations, groups and organizations a preliminary document outlining the
priority issues facing the European Armenian community.
"We invite all the members of our European Armenian communities and all the
many diverse European Armenian associations to participate in the
preparations for the Second Convention of the European Armenians, to attend
and actively take part in its deliberations, and to lend their unique
contributions to developing a common message that we can deliver to European
civic society and leadership," said Hilda Tchoboian, the chairperson of the
European Armenian Federation.
The European Armenian Federation will send hundreds of invitations to the
Convention and encourages all those who wish to attend the Convention to
begin registering now by email or via the  http://www.eafjd.org  website.
Associations that may be not known to the Federation and that therefore
might not otherwise receive an invitation are requested to get in touch with
the Federation directly. The European Armenian Federation calls on all
interested parties to widely broadcast this event as a important opportunity
to raise awareness about issues of European Armenian concern, among European
policy-makers, including members of the European Parliament and officers of
the European Commission.