Armenia: A Brief Overview

A L E C T U R E B Y A M B A S S A D O R A R M E N Y E G A N I A N

Fact-sheet

 Independent since 1991  Third Republic of Armenia  Total Area – 29,743 km 2  Landlocked  Population - 3,262,200  Government type:  Unitary Semi-Presidential Republic Capital city Yerevan

National Symbols

   Tricolor Flag    Red for the the Armenian people's continued struggle for survival Blue for the the will of the people of Armenia to live beneath peaceful skies Orange the creative talent and hard working nature of the people of Armenia Coat of Arms  Lion and Tiger holding the shield depicting Noah’s Ark on Holy Mount Ararat and the Coats of Arms of four Armenian Kingdoms National Anthem  “Our Fatherland”

History

   Lived on Armenian Highlands for millennia    Kura-Araxes culture in 4 th -3 rd millennia B.C.

Hayasa-Azzi and Nairi tribes since 2 nd millennium B.C.

First kingdom – Urartu established in 859 B.C. by king Aramé Kingdom of Urartu (Ararat)   Flourished in 8 th century B.C.

Conquered by Medes mid-6 th century B.C.

Orontid Armenia   Established in late 6 th Empire century B.C. as a Satrapy of Achaemenid Independent after the conquest of the Empire by Alexander the Great

History

 Kingdom of Armenia (321 B.C. – 428 A.D.)   Three dynasties of Orontids, Artaxiads and Arshakids A vast kingdom between rivaling empires

 A short-lived empire under Tigranes II the Great (95-55 B.C.)   Armenia “from sea to sea” – covering territory between Black, Caspian and Mediterranean seas Tigranes finishes the mighty Seleucid Empire

History

History

 First Christian country  King Tiridates III institutes Christianity as state religion in 301  Armenian alphabet created in 405 to spread Christianity wider Etchmiadzin Cathedral, built in 303

History

 Middle Ages  Fell to and divided between rivaling East Roman and Persian Empires  Armenian Kingdom restored in 9 th century  Rule of Bagratuni Dynasty  Capital Ani, that had “one thousand and one” churches  Annexed by Byzantium in 1045  Nobility moves to Cilicia and establishes a principality  Principality turns into powerful Kingdom, ally to Crusaders  Conquered by Egyptian Mamluks in 1375

History

  No statehood until 20 th century  Torn between Empires  Armenia and Armenians forgotten by the world  Unsuccessful liberation movements throughout the centuries  Semi-independent entities in Artsakh and Syunik in 18 th century Hamidian Massacres  Systematic slaughters of Armenians by Ottomans in late 1890s  Around 300.000 victims to the massacres  Precursor to the Genocide of Armenian people

Armenian Genocide

 April 24, 1915 considered the inception of the Genocide  On that day more than 300 Armenian intellectuals, politicians, clergymen arrested and executed in Constantinople  Systematic murder of Armenian population throughout fading Empire  Massacres from 1908 to 1923 killed over 1.5 million Armenians  Armenians marched with no food or water to Deir-ez-Zor desert of Syria from all over Asia Minor  Remnants of Armenian population receive shelter in Syria, Lebanon, Russian Empire (Eastern Armenia) and Europe  Survivors spread around the globe and are the basis for the vast Armenian Diaspora  The first Genocide of the modern era, paved the way for Holocaust , Genocides in Cambodia, Darfur etc.

Modern Era

    Short-lived First Republic in 1918-1920 70 years under Soviet Union Regained long-awaited independence in 1991  Young republic, member to various international organizations  Trustful partner to the international community  Has embassies in over 40 countries over the world Issues with neighbours  Over 70% of the borders (Turkey and Azerbaijan) closed  Only route to Europe through Georgia, that has closed borders with Russia

International Recognition of Genocide

 Recognition of Armenian Genocide as a part of foreign policy  21 countries and 43 states of the USA have recognized  Most-renowned Genocide-studies’ organizations recognized and condemned, pushed Turkey to recognize  Turkey persists on the denialist policy  Canada recognized Armenian Genocide on all levels – House of Commons (1996, 2004), Senate (2002) and Government (2006)  Prime Minister addresses Armenians every April 24

Canada-Armenia Relations

 Relations in 3 main areas  Political  Economical  Cultural  In General:  Relations based on mutual trust  Assistance to each other on International arena  Great prospects for economic ties  Big cultural ties – especially thanks to community

Canada-Armenia Political Relations

   Armenia opened Embassy in Ottawa in 1995  Embassy situated in a Spanish Colonial Revival style heritage building, built in 1908 Friendly cooperation with the state establishment  Government as a whole, Department of Foreign Affairs in particular Active cooperation on International level  Organizations such as UN, UNESCO, OSCE etc.

Canada-Armenia Political Relations

  Parliamentary cooperation  Parliamentary friendship groups in both Parliaments  Canada-Armenia Friendship Group led by Harold Albrecht, M.P.

 Armenia-Canada Friendship Group led by H.Sahakyan, M.P.

 Periodical meetings in Armenia or Canada Friendship group had huge influence on the recognition of Armenian Genocide in Canada  Planned high-level visit to strengthen parliamentary ties

Canada-Armenia Economic Relations

    Canada was top investor in Armenia for the first 9 months of 2012 Huge representation in Armenian mining industry  Mainly non-ferrous metals  Giants like Dundee Precious Metals and Lydian Canada Growing cooperation in High-Tech  Gatineau-based Macadamian Technologies Yerevan branch: a success story The future of economic ties

Canada-Armenia Cultural Ties

   Armenian community as a connecting bridge  Around 80.000 Armenian living in Canada  Important figures: Yousuf Karsh, Atom Egoyan, Isabelle Bayrakdarian, Peter Oundjian etc.

Christianity as an important link  More than 15 Armenian churches throughout Canada Shared values  Protection of human rights, democracy, rule of law

Participation in la Francophonie

  Full-fledge member since 2012  Cooperation for years  Observer since 2006, Associated Member since 2008  Great assistance from Canadian side in the matters of Armenia’s membership French language in Armenian history  French-Armenian dynasty of Lusignians  French mandate over Cilician Armenia  France – one of the main accepting countries for Armenians after the Genocide  Big Armenian community of around 500.000 in France

Finishing remarks

   Armenia – a developing democratic country More than 1 million tourists in 2012 Safe and beautiful country with thousand years old churches and monasteries Thank you.

Feel free to ask questions!