THE 63RD INTERNATIONAL PUGWASH CONFERENCE OF SCIENCE AND WORLD AFFAIRS TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

On the initiative of the National Defense Research University, MOD, RA, from December 9 to 12, Prof. Paolo Cotta-Ramusino, Secretary General of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs international movement—an international network of scientists concerned about peace and international security, and Prof. Alexander Nikitin, Doctor of Political Science, Elected Member of Pugwash Council, Director of the MGIMO Center for Euro-Atlantic Security, MFA, RF, President Emeritus of the Russian Political Science Association (RPSA), made a visit to Armenia.

Members of Pugwash international movement are renowned scientists, who are advocates for peace, disarmament and international security, prevention of nuclear war, and scientific cooperation, whose estimations are significantly underlined by different state leaders and international organizations. This Movement was initiated back in 1955 by 11 world famous scientists, among who was Albert Einstein. For its effortsmade in the non-proliferation of nuclear weaponsthe Movement was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.

On December 11, the guests paid a visit to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex, where the Secretary General of Pugwash Movement Paolo Cotta-Ramusino laid a wreath at the Genocide monument.

The same day they were received by the RA President Serzh Sargsyan. They were accompanied by Lieutenant General Hayk Kotanjian, Head, NDRU, Doctor of Political Science, Professor. The Pugwash Conferences Secretary General Paolo Cotta-Ramusino asked for the President Serzh Sargsyan’s consent and support to hold the 2019 Pugwash International Conference in Yerevan. The President of the state welcomed the idea of hosting the conference in Yerevan, and noted that Armenia was eager to support in organizing and holding the event at a high level.

In the frameworks of their visit to Armenia the guests also took a trip to Garni and Geghard where they came to know the Armenian spiritual, historical and cultural heritage.

To wind up their visit, the guests visited the National Defense Research University. They were hosted by Lieutenant General Hayk Kotanjian, Head, NDRU. The meeting was also attended by Benyamin Poghosyan, Deputy-Head for Research—Head, Institute for National Strategic Studies, NDRU, PhD in History. In the course of the meeting the attendees discussed the issues regarding the holding of the 2019 Pugwash reporting-elective conference in Yerevan.