(ARMENIAN WEEKLY) TEHRAN, Iran—Representatives of Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) student and youth associations participated in a regional meeting entitled “The Armenian Youth and the Envisioned Future in Armenia and the Middle East,” on Feb. 15-17 in Tehran, Iran. The meeting was organized by the ARF-D “Hovnan Davtian” Student Association and the ARF-D Bureau Youth Office.

ARF-D Student Association and Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) members from Armenia, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh), Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Kuwait participated in the three-day program.

Following the opening remarks by the Executive Director of the ARF-D Bureau Youth Office Sarkis Mkrtchian and one of the leaders of the Armenian community of Tehran Henrik Khaloyan, the representatives provided updates about the work of their organizations and addressed some of the issues in their respective communities.

Some of the issues discussed were preserving the Armenian identity in the Diaspora, working towards a pan-Armenian approach to problems, and the role of the Diasporan-Armenian youth in the domestic and external affairs of Armenia.

Representatives also took in lectures about the political situation in the Middle East and the Armenian communities, the current situation in Turkey, the Armenian Cause, the domestic and external challenges of Armenia, and the role of Armenian youth in the future development of Armenia.

In addition to the meeting’s agenda, participants also visited several Armenian institutions and various places of cultural and historical significance in Tehran and New Julfa (Isfahan).

At the conclusion of the meeting, all the regions affirmed their willingness and commitment to serve the interests of the Armenian people in their continuous struggle for the Armenian Cause.