Armen Sarkissian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Armen Sarkissian
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Արմեն Սարգսյան
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Official portrait, 2018
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| 4th President of Armenia | |
| In office 9 April 2018 – 1 February 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Serzh Sargsyan Nikol Pashinyan |
| Preceded by | Serzh Sargsyan |
| Succeeded by | Alen Simonyan (acting) Vahagn Khachaturyan |
| 5th Prime Minister of Armenia | |
| In office 4 November 1996 – 20 March 1997 |
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| President | Levon Ter-Petrosyan |
| Preceded by | Hrant Bagratyan |
| Succeeded by | Robert Kocharyan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 June 1952 Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Nouneh Sarkissian |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Yerevan State University |
| Signature |  |
Armen Vardani Sarkissian (Armenian: Արմեն Վարդանի Սարգսյան; born 23 June 1952) is an Armenian politician, scientist, and businessman. He served as the 4th president of Armenia from 2018 to 2022. Before that, he was the Prime Minister of Armenia from 1996 to 1997. He was the first president of independent Armenia who was born in the former Armenian SSR.
Sarkissian has been an ambassador for Armenia to the United Kingdom for a very long time. He first held this role from 1992 to 1996, and then again from 1998 and 2013. He was also Armenia's first ambassador to important places like the Vatican, the European Union, and NATO. He was known as a "Senior Ambassador" in Europe.
Sarkissian has written many scientific articles and often spoke about international events. His writings have appeared in well-known newspapers and magazines around the world. In October 2022, he announced he was writing a new book called The Small States Club: How Small Smart States can Save the World.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Sarkissian studied at Yerevan State University. He focused on theoretical physics and mathematics. He later became a professor of physics at the university. In 1984, he became a visiting professor at the University of Cambridge in England. There, he worked with famous scientists like Stephen Hawking.
In 1988, he started a new department at Yerevan State University. This department focused on using computers to model complex systems.
Sarkissian also helped create a video game called Wordtris in 1991. This game was a spin-off of the popular game Tetris. Wordtris was later sold with Tetris as Tetris Gold and became very popular.
Political and Diplomatic Work
In November 1991, Sarkissian helped set up the first Armenian Embassy in London. This was Armenia's first diplomatic office in the West. Besides his work in the UK, he became a Senior Ambassador to Europe. He also served as ambassador to NATO and other European countries. From 1995 to 1996, he was the Head of Mission for Armenia to the European Union.
Becoming Prime Minister
In 1996, Sarkissian was chosen to be the Prime Minister of Armenia. During his time as Prime Minister, he started important changes. He removed the Ministry of Information, which helped bring more press freedom to Armenia. He also worked on improving Armenia's energy system and made changes to the government. He resigned in 1997 due to health reasons.
After Prime Minister
After recovering, Sarkissian became a special advisor to the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). He also worked as a consultant and business adviser for large international companies.
Sarkissian held many important positions in different organizations. He worked to support democratic leadership and help solve conflicts peacefully. He also promoted good governance, which means having fair democratic systems, open markets, and respecting human rights.
President of Armenia
How He Was Elected
On 19 January 2018, President Serzh Sargsyan suggested that Sarkissian become the next president. He asked Sarkissian to help improve Armenia's foreign relations, connect with Armenians living abroad, and boost foreign investment, science, education, and culture. The main political parties supported Sarkissian's nomination.
Sarkissian was elected president by the National Assembly on 2 March 2018. He won with 90 votes out of 105.
Starting His Presidency
Sarkissian officially became president on 9 April 2018. The ceremony took place in Yerevan. After the ceremony, he visited a military cemetery called Yerablur.
Key Events as President
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After Sarkissian became president, the government resigned. Former president Serzh Sargsyan was then chosen as prime minister. However, this led to large protests across Armenia, known as The Velvet Revolution.
Armen Sarkissian played a key role in helping to find a peaceful solution during these protests. He even walked into the crowds of protesters without security to talk with them. Many believe his actions helped keep the protests peaceful.
Serzh Sargsyan resigned six days after becoming prime minister. On 8 May 2018, Nikol Pashinyan was elected prime minister.
Sarkissian made his first official foreign visit to Tbilisi, Georgia, on 26 May 2018. He attended celebrations for Georgia's 100th anniversary of independence.
In June 2018, Sarkissian suggested changing the constitution. He wanted to balance the power between the President and the Prime Minister.
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In May 2019, Sarkissian visited Almaty, Kazakhstan. He said that Armenia could become an "international financial center." He believed it could be a "cooperation bridge between Eurasia and EU."
In 2018, Sarkissian started the Armenian chapter of the international Summit of Minds. This annual event brings together leaders, business people, and thinkers to Armenia.
During the 2020 conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Sarkissian was seen as a strong diplomatic voice for Armenia. However, his role was limited by the constitution. He could not directly manage the war or the peace talks. This was a major reason for his later decision to resign.
In October 2021, Sarkissian made a historic visit to Saudi Arabia. This was the first time an Armenian official had visited the kingdom. Armenia and Saudi Arabia do not have official diplomatic relations. Sarkissian used his personal connections to make the visit happen. He met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Resignation from Presidency
Sarkissian had often expressed his frustration with the limits on the president's power. He also felt the government had not kept its promise to change the constitution. He had hinted that he would resign if the constitution remained unchanged.
In January 2022, Sarkissian resigned as President. He released a statement explaining his decision. He said that Armenia was a "parliamentary republic in shape, but not in content." He felt the president did not have the real tools to influence important issues like war and peace. He also mentioned that the president and their family sometimes became targets for attacks from political groups. He stated that his decision was not emotional but came from a clear understanding of the situation.
After his resignation, there were some claims about Sarkissian having a second passport from St. Kitts and Nevis. Armenian law does not allow the president to hold dual citizenship. Sarkissian denied that his resignation was linked to these claims. He explained that he had made an investment in a hotel in St. Kitts and Nevis. This country has a program that offers citizenship to foreign investors. Sarkissian clarified that he had given up his right to citizenship under this program.
Sarkissian had been the subject of various untrue claims during his presidency. These included accusations that he was a British spy or that he had not fully shared his private wealth. After a long investigation, the Corruption Prevention Commission of Armenia found these claims to be false. They also noted that Sarkissian had fully disclosed all his private income.
Official Visits Hosted by Sarkissian
| Country | Dates | Leader | Notes |
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 Italy |
30 July 2018 | President Sergio Mattarella | He awarded Sarkissian with the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic |
 Germany |
24 August 2018 | Chancellor Angela Merkel | |
 Georgia |
13 March 2019 | President Salome Zurabishvili | |
 Greece |
5 November 2019 | President Prokopis Pavlopoulos | |
 Jordan |
11–13 February 2020 | King Abdullah II | |
 France |
October 2020 | President Emmanuel Macron | |
| Italy |
October 2020 | President Sergio Mattarella |
Personal Life
Armen Sarkissian married Nouneh Sarkissian in 1978. They have two adult children. Besides Armenian and Russian, he also speaks English fluently. He was a personal friend of Charles III, who visited Armenia in 2013 as Sarkissian's guest.
In January 2021, Sarkissian tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting London. He recovered and returned to Armenia.
Awards and Honors
From Armenia
- In 2017, he received the first degree medal For Services to Homeland Armenia.
- In 2008, he received the St. Gregory the Illuminator medal. This was from Garegin II, the head of the Armenian Church.
International Awards
- In 2021, he received the Grand Collar of the Papal Order of Pius IX. This is a very high honor from the Holy See.
- In 2018, he was awarded the Knight of the Grand Cross Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. This is Italy's highest award.
- He also received the John Edwin Mroz Global Statesman Award in 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Armén Sarkissian para niños
