On April 21, the Coordinating Council for Pan-Armenian Forums of Journalists held a session at the RA Ministry of Diaspora. RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan also participated in the session.

The session was moderated by editor-in-chief of Lebanon’s Aztag Daily and chairman of the Coordinating Council for Pan-Armenian Forums of Journalists Shahan Kantaharian.

Among the participants were President of the Union of Journalists of Armenia Astghik Gevorgyan editor-in-chief of California Courier Weekly Harut Sassounian, Armenian American journalists Hagop Vartivarian and Baidzig Galajian, President of the All-Armenian Media Association Tigran Harutyunyan, Dean of the Department of Journalism at Yerevan State University Naghash Martirosyan, lecturer of the YSU Department of Journalism Astghik Avetisyan, Head of the Department of Information and Telecommunication at the RA Ministry of Diaspora Vaghinak Vardanyan, Head of the Department of Media and Public Relations Evelina Baghdasaryan, as well as other employees of the RA Ministry of Diaspora. President of the Union of Journalists of Artsakh Kim Gabrielyan, editor-in-chief of France’s Nor Harach newspaper Zhirayr Cholakian, editor-in-chief of Iran’s Alik Daily Derenik Melikian, editor-in-chief of Lebanon’s Khosnag Magazine Hampig Mardirossian, editor-in-chief of Orer Magazine of the Czech Republic Hakob Asatryan, editor-in-chief of Lebanon’s Zartonk Daily Sevag Hagopian and editor-in-chief of Canada’s Horizon Weekly Vahakn Karakashian were participating in the session via Internet connection.

Greeting the participants of the session, the Minister first touched upon the large-scale military aggression that Azerbaijan unleashed along the entire length of the border of Nagorno-Karabakh on 2-6 April. “Those days were difficult days for us, but the Armenian communities of the Diaspora combined efforts and provided large-scale assistance to Artsakh. Donations are still being transferred to the official bank account opened in Nagorno-Karabakh, fundraisers are still being organized, humanitarian aid is being delivered to Artsakh, and the Armenians of Russia are various types of automobiles. We are grateful to everyone. It should be emphasized that, thanks to the rapid reactions of Diaspora Armenian media outlets, Armenians around the world were immediately informed about the military actions, united and held protests and demonstrations devoted to the defense of Artsakh and condemning Azerbaijan’s aggression, as well as addressed the authorities of their countries of residence with letters calling on them to condemn Azerbaijan’s aggression,” the RA Minister of Diaspora stated, adding: “Azerbaijan committed a military crime, and we need to be able to write as many articles as possible in order to present the reality to the international community and help it have a clear understanding and express the right approach. The Armenians became an army of 10 million. We need to advance the international recognition of the independence of Artsakh. Only through the Armenia-Artsakh-Diaspora triumvirate and combined efforts will we be able to overcome the challenges facing us.”

The participants of the session talked about the developments that have taken place within their respective communities and the responses of media outlets.

The items on the agenda were devoted to the issues on providing coverage of Azerbaijan’s aggression in the official and non-official presses of the countries of a particular region, the programs for the 101^st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide within Armenian communities of the Diaspora and the topics to be discussed during the sessions of the 8^th Pan-Armenian Forum of Journalists.

Touching upon the issue on providing coverage of Azerbaijan’s aggression in the presses of the countries of a particular region, the participants of the session attached importance to propagandizing the issue in foreign languages, not getting involved in the currents of Azerbaijan’s misinformation through the combined efforts of the presses of Armenia and the Diaspora during the days of the military aggression and, finally, tribute to the nation within the communities of the Diaspora.