"Hamshen and Hamshen Armenians. History and Culture" international conference started in Yerevan today. The goal of the conference is to encourage further studies, to raise public awareness and to establish ties with Hamshen Armenians.

"The problem of Hamshen and Hamshen Armenians attracts more and more attention. I am hopeful that this conference will help us to better understand the peculiarities of our nation and its manifestations in various geographical and religious spheres," Ruben Safrastyan, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the RA Academy of Sciences, said in his opening remarks. "The problem is also in focus in Turkey. Certainly, we can't agree with some Turkish historians who rate Hamshen Armenians as Turkic tribes."

Experts from Armenia, Turkey and Russia studying the history and culture of Hamshen Armenians attended the conference, organizers of which hope for further collaboration.