On October 17 the plenary session of Second International Congress on Armenian Studies «Armenian Studies and the Challenges of Modern Times» took place. The President of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia Radik Martirosyan greeted those presents reminding that the first congress took  place in 2003, and during these years there was a progress in the field of the Armenian studies.

The president of the Republic of Armenia Serge  Sargsyan,  His Holiness Karekin II Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Aram I Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia  sent their messages of greeting to those presents.

Then in the plenary session on «The Current State and the Issues of the Armenian Studies» the reporters delivered their reports.

Academician-Secretary of the Division of Armenology and Social Sciences Yuri Suvaryan presented the changes in the field of Armenian Studies. «During the previous congress three main problems were discussed: to found armenological fund, international council and armenological multilingual review. These steps have already  been taken»,- mentioned Y. Suvaryan. He spoke about  the financing, training of specialists, technical provision, academic review, international academic relations in the fields of Armenian Studies.

Kevork Bardakchyan (USA), Valentina Calzolari (Switzerland), Sergey Sayadov (Russia) introduced the current state, issues and the necessary steps in the field of Armenian Studies in the above mentioned countries.

In the frames of  Armenian Studies   RA Minister of Diaspora Affairs Hranush Hakobyan  spoke about  the activities of the Ministry of Diaspora. NAS RA president Radik Martirosyan recieved Hakob Meghapart medal from Hranush Hakobyan. 

YSU rector, director of Institute for Armenian Studies Aram Simonyan spoke about the problems of the Armenian Studies and their ways of solution. «Apart from the integration into international academic community, we have a serious problem of preservation of the nation. In the field of Armenian Studies we have a huge heritage.  On the agenda is the clarification of the current state and the steps that are to be taken for the further development. First of all, we need institutional changes»,-said A. Simonyan reminding that the work of coordinating council hasn't been completed yet.

A. Simonyan  expressed his concern upon  non-productive activities of armenological centers in abroad, especially in Russian Federation. So,  it is necessary to contribute to  the foundation  and formation of armenological centers in abroad. 

Director of the Institute of History of NAS RA Ashot Melkonyan  touched upon some problems in the field of Armenian Studies.

After the plenary session the congress  went on in National Academy of Sciences of RA on  different themes. Second International Congress on Armenian Studies will continue till October 19.