On March 21-23, under the auspices of Catholicos of the Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, His Holiness ARAM I, an international conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Armenia was held in Beirut, Lebanon. A delegation of 11 scholars from NAS RA Institute of History was among more than 50 speechmakers and participants from different countries. President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan, Academician-Secretary of the Division of Armenology and Social Sciences Yuri Suvaryan, Vice President of the National Assembly of the Artsakh Republic Prof. Vahram Balayan, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Academician Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the Institute of Literature Vardan Devrikyan, Director of the National Archives Amatuni Virabyan, Dean of YSU Faculty of History Prof. Edik Minasyan, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations Prof. Gegham Petrosyan, Chair of the Department of Iranian Studies Vardan Voskanyan, scholars from other Armenian and Diaspora institutions were present at the Conference.
A monument dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Armenia was opened at the Cathedral. The delegation was present at the photo exhibition dedicated to the 2800th anniversary of Yerevan’s foundation organized by the staff of Yerevan History Museum at the Embassy of Armenia in Lebanon (director Armine Sargsyan).
The Conference was held in the following sections:
- Historical significance of the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia
- Historical-political sub-soil of the First Republic of Armenia
- State-legal structure and internal state of the First Republic of Armenia
- Foreign Policy of the First Republic of Armenia
- Sovietization of the Republic of Armenia
- Role of the Republic of Armenia in the pursuit of the Armenian rights
- From independence to independence (28 May 1918-21 September 1991)
- Maintaining the ideology of Armenia’s independence in Armenia and the Diaspora
- Maintaining the ideology of independence in the Armenian culture
- Role of the Armenian Church in the establishment, preservation and empowerment of Armenia’s independence.
Reports were made by
- ASHOT MELKONYAN – Academician of NAS RA, Director of NAS RA Institute of History
“The Historical Evolution of the Republic of Armenia”
- KAREN KHACHATRYAN – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Deputy Director of NAS RA Institute of History on Scientific-Organizational Issues
“Causes of the Fall of the Republic of Armenia”
- RUBEN SAHAKYAN – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Chair of New History Department
“Armenian State Building Process in Van-Vaspurakan during 1915-1918”
- GEVORG STEPANYAN – Doctor of Sciences, Professor, Chair of Armenian Colonies and Diaspora History Department
“The Role of the 1918 Baku Self-Defense in Establishing the Republic of Armenia”
- ARMEN MARUKYAN – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, Chair of the Department of the Armenian Issue and Genocide History
“The Problem of Claims within the RA Foreign Policy Agenda”
- VAHAN MELIKYAN – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor
“Prerequisites for the proclamation of the Republic of Armenia: Historical significance of the 1918 May heroic battles”
- ARARAT HAKOBYAN – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor
“The State Structure of the Republic of Armenia”
- SUREN SARGSYAN – Doctor of Historical Sciences
“Activities of the Armenian People’s Party in Armenia in 1918-1920”
- ARMENUHI GHAMBARYAN – Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor
“The Republic of Armenia in the US Foreign Policy”
- GURGEN VARDANYAN - Candidate of Historical Sciences
“Cultural Life in the First Republic of Armenia”
Chair of the Department of Modern History, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Prof. HAMLET HARUTYUNYAN, chaired the work of the section “Role of the Republic of Armenia in the pursuit of the Armenian rights”.
The Conference participants visited the Cathedral of Antelias, the Armenian Embassy in Lebanon, Bikfaya, Bird’s Nest Museum, Burj Hamood Armenian Quarter, Armenian Catholic Monastery of Zmmar, Anjar Armenian Village and other places.
