Assyrians in Europe concluded the first Assyrian European Convention,
held on October 8 and 9 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The convention saw the
election of the first ever president for the Assyrian Confederation of
Europe (ACE), an umbrella organization for Assyrian national federations
in the different European countries.
Ms Attiya Gamri from the
Netherlands was elected president for a three term. Ms. Gamri is a
former member of a Dutch provincial parliament.
The convention
gathered Assyrians from France, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands,
Belgium and Sweden. Bodil Valero, member of the European parliament from
Sweden addressed the convention and spoke of the importance for
Assyrians in Europe to be vocal and well organized.
The Assyrian
Confederation of Europe was officially inaugurated in April this year
during a ceremony in the European Parliament in Brussels.
Assyrians
in Europe number nearly half a million and constitute one of the
biggest diaspora communities from the Middle East in the European Union.