Two-day discussions related to Armenia were held in Switzerland in the framework of 12th Festival “When East Meets West”

07 October, 2024

Two-day discussions related to Armenia were held on October 7-8 at Chateau Mercier in town of Sierre at Valais canton of Switzerland in the framework of the 12^th Festival “When East Meets West”.

The Ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland Andranik Hovahannisian made opening remarks. He presented the democratic path adopted by Armenia after the revolution of 2018, spoke about military aggressions carried out by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh and the Republic of Armenia, ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan and missing persons, Armenia’s readiness to sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan, and the Crossroads of Peace project. Ambassador Hovahannisian answered questions raised by the participants.

Two panels related to Armenia were held in the framework of the event. The first was named “Armenians – A Nation Struggling to Survive In the Caucasus.” The key-note speakers of the event were professor at the Geneva University Vicken Cheterian and the reporter of the popular Swiss Le Temps newspaper Louis Leman. They spoke about the current geopolitical situation and in that context about threats that Armenia faces. A detailed account was presented on the gross violations of human rights and humanitarian law committed by Azerbaijan in Nagorno Karabakh. They also spoke about Armenian prisoners kept in Baku, threats stemming from Azerbaijan and territorial claims against Armenia. The moderator of the round table, a correspondent of a number of major Swiss newspapers Roman Jean presented the history of the conflict and its repercaussions.

The head of the Centre for Armenological Research of the University of Geneva, professor Valentina Calzolari was the key-note speaker of the second panel, named “The Historical Footsteps of Armenia’s Christian Past”. She made, in particular, a historical presentation about Armenia, referred to Armenia’s ancient and medieval history and spoke about the demolition by Azerbaijan of the Armenian historical and culture heritage in Nagorno Karabakh.

A separate discussion was held on the Armenian-Ethiopean religious, cultural, and historical interrelations.

The event dedicated to Armenia concluded with the screening of Michael Gurjian’s “The Americatsi” movie.

The annual “When East Meets West Festivals” held at Chateau Mercier are dedicated to the dialogue of civilizations, topics related to culture and global politics. The event is attended by leading journalists, experts, public and political figures.

MFA RA
official website

Dual citizenship

Electronic visa

Visa applications