ARF ELECTED TO VICE-PRESIDENCY OF SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL
ARF Press Service
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
ATHENS
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Tuesday was elected to the
vice-presidency of Socialist International, with Armenia's ARF Women's
Organization leader Maria Titizian filling the position.
The ARF, which has been a full-fledged member of SI since the 2003,
will fill one of 37 vice-presidencies of the organization. Titizian's
position will oversee a vast region, which includes Armenia.
The SI convention also re-elected Yorgho Papandreou as its president
and Luis Ayala as its Secretary General.
The meeting convened Monday in Athens with the ARF participating
with nine representatives. Aside from Titizian, the organization was
represented by ARF Bureau members Mario Nalbandian and Levon Lazarian,
ARF Central Committee of Greece members Kevork Kolanian, Alice
Papazian, Kaspar Garabedian, Vahan Bzdigian and Ricardo Yerganian,
as well as the ARF Lebanon Central Committee chairman Benjo Bdjakdjian
and the "Azad Or" newspaper representative editor Hripsime Harutunian.
In discussing the possible membership of the Socialist party of
Turkish-occupied Cyprus, Nalbandian, echoed the sentiments of the
Socialist Party of Cyprus and voiced his opposition to the proposal.
In his remarks, Nalbandian said that any party that wishes to join
SI, must adhere to its principles of fraternalism, equality, justice
and peace. As long as Turkey continues to occupy a portion of Cyprus
and abuses the people's rights, it cannot be allowed to be a part of
Socialist International.
The ARF delegation, led by its Bureau members, held several meetings,
including one with SI president Papandreou, who expressed interest
in visiting Armenia as one of his priorities.
Participating at the SI convention were dignitaries from throughout
the world, including Paraguay president Fernando Luco, Iraqi president
Jalal Talabani, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abaas, Israeli
defense minister Ehoud Barak, Russian Duma president Sergei Muronov
and Cyprus Foreign Minister Yanakis Omirou.
The convention also voted to expel the Socialist Party of Fiji,
since it recently joined a coalition government led by the country's
military junta.
Since its full-fledged membership in SI in 2003 and advisory status
membership in 1999, the ARF has been represented in numerous SI
conventions and regional meetings, including participation in SI
Women's Organization and the International Union of Socialist Youth
(SI's youth organization).
Founded in 1951, the present Socialist International is the successor
to the Socialist International established in the late Nineteenth
Century, to which the ARF became a member in 1907. In the 1960s,
the ARF's membership in SI was terminated because of changes in SI's
regulations. At SI's 1996 Congress in New York, the ARF joined the
new SI as an observer. The decision to grant the ARF full membership
was made in the SI Council's meeting in Casablanca in June 2002. The
decision was reinstated by the 22nd Congress in San Paolo.
The Socialist International presently includes 150 socialist'ssocial
democratic'sand labor parties from throughout 100 countries. Fifty-two
of these parties actively participate in their respective governments.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
ARF Press Service
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
ATHENS
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Tuesday was elected to the
vice-presidency of Socialist International, with Armenia's ARF Women's
Organization leader Maria Titizian filling the position.
The ARF, which has been a full-fledged member of SI since the 2003,
will fill one of 37 vice-presidencies of the organization. Titizian's
position will oversee a vast region, which includes Armenia.
The SI convention also re-elected Yorgho Papandreou as its president
and Luis Ayala as its Secretary General.
The meeting convened Monday in Athens with the ARF participating
with nine representatives. Aside from Titizian, the organization was
represented by ARF Bureau members Mario Nalbandian and Levon Lazarian,
ARF Central Committee of Greece members Kevork Kolanian, Alice
Papazian, Kaspar Garabedian, Vahan Bzdigian and Ricardo Yerganian,
as well as the ARF Lebanon Central Committee chairman Benjo Bdjakdjian
and the "Azad Or" newspaper representative editor Hripsime Harutunian.
In discussing the possible membership of the Socialist party of
Turkish-occupied Cyprus, Nalbandian, echoed the sentiments of the
Socialist Party of Cyprus and voiced his opposition to the proposal.
In his remarks, Nalbandian said that any party that wishes to join
SI, must adhere to its principles of fraternalism, equality, justice
and peace. As long as Turkey continues to occupy a portion of Cyprus
and abuses the people's rights, it cannot be allowed to be a part of
Socialist International.
The ARF delegation, led by its Bureau members, held several meetings,
including one with SI president Papandreou, who expressed interest
in visiting Armenia as one of his priorities.
Participating at the SI convention were dignitaries from throughout
the world, including Paraguay president Fernando Luco, Iraqi president
Jalal Talabani, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abaas, Israeli
defense minister Ehoud Barak, Russian Duma president Sergei Muronov
and Cyprus Foreign Minister Yanakis Omirou.
The convention also voted to expel the Socialist Party of Fiji,
since it recently joined a coalition government led by the country's
military junta.
Since its full-fledged membership in SI in 2003 and advisory status
membership in 1999, the ARF has been represented in numerous SI
conventions and regional meetings, including participation in SI
Women's Organization and the International Union of Socialist Youth
(SI's youth organization).
Founded in 1951, the present Socialist International is the successor
to the Socialist International established in the late Nineteenth
Century, to which the ARF became a member in 1907. In the 1960s,
the ARF's membership in SI was terminated because of changes in SI's
regulations. At SI's 1996 Congress in New York, the ARF joined the
new SI as an observer. The decision to grant the ARF full membership
was made in the SI Council's meeting in Casablanca in June 2002. The
decision was reinstated by the 22nd Congress in San Paolo.
The Socialist International presently includes 150 socialist'ssocial
democratic'sand labor parties from throughout 100 countries. Fifty-two
of these parties actively participate in their respective governments.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress