Robert Kocharyan facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Robert Kocharyan
Ռոբերտ Քոչարյան
Official portrait, c. 1998

2nd President of Armenia
In office 9 April 1998 – 9 April 2008 Acting: 4 February – 9 April 1998
Prime Minister	Armen Darbinyan Vazgen Sargsyan Aram Sargsyan Andranik Margaryan Serzh Sargsyan
Preceded by	Levon Ter-Petrosyan
Succeeded by	Serzh Sargsyan
6th Prime Minister of Armenia
In office 20 March 1997 – 10 April 1998
President	Levon Ter-Petrosyan
Preceded by	Armen Sargsyan
Succeeded by	Armen Darbinyan
1st President of Nagorno-Karabakh
In office 29 December 1994 – 20 March 1997
Prime Minister	Leonard Petrosyan
Preceded by	Garen Baburyan [hy] (Acting)
Succeeded by	Leonard Petrosyan (Acting)
2nd Prime Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh
In office August 1992 – 29 December 1994
President	Georgy Petrosyan (Acting) Karen Baburyan (Acting)
Preceded by	Oleg Yesayan
Succeeded by	Leonard Petrosyan

Personal details
Born	(1954-08-31) 31 August 1954 (age 70) Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Soviet Union
Political party	Independent
Other political affiliations	Armenia Alliance
Spouse	Bella Kocharyan
Children	3
Alma mater	National Polytechnic University of Armenia
Signature
Website	robertkocharyan.am

Robert Sedraki Kocharyan (born 31 August 1954) is an Armenian politician. He held important leadership roles in both Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. He was the President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from 1994 to 1997 and its Prime Minister from 1992 to 1994. Later, he served as the second President of Armenia from 1998 to 2008 and as Prime Minister of Armenia from 1997 to 1998.

During his time as president, Armenia's economy grew a lot, especially between 2001 and 2007. This was largely due to a boom in construction. After his presidency, Kocharyan returned to politics following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020. He led the Armenia Alliance in the 2021 Armenian parliamentary election.

Robert Kocharyan's Early Life and Career
- Involvement in the Karabakh Movement
- Role in the Nagorno-Karabakh War
Robert Kocharyan as Prime Minister of Armenia
Robert Kocharyan as President of Armenia
Robert Kocharyan's Post-Presidency Activities
- Return to Politics
Robert Kocharyan's Views
Robert Kocharyan's Personal Life
Awards and Honors
- Medals from International Institutions
- Awards from Non-Recognized Countries
Images for kids
See also

Robert Kocharyan's Early Life and Career

Robert Kocharyan was born on August 31, 1954, in Stepanakert. This city was the capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. He finished his high school education in Stepanakert. From 1972 to 1974, he served in the Soviet Army.

Kocharyan started his career in 1971 as an engineer at an electro-technical plant in Stepanakert. In 1982, he graduated with high honors from the National Polytechnic University of Armenia in Yerevan.

Involvement in the Karabakh Movement

In the 1980s, Kocharyan held various positions in Nagorno-Karabakh's communist youth and party groups. By February 1988, he became a key leader of the Karabakh movement. This movement aimed to transfer the Nagorno-Karabakh region from Azerbaijan to Armenia.

In 1989, he was elected to the Supreme Soviet of Soviet Armenia. In 1991, he was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the newly formed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR).

Role in the Nagorno-Karabakh War

When the Soviet Union broke apart, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict turned into a full-scale war. Kocharyan took part in the Capture of Shusha in May 1992. This was a very important victory for the Armenian side.

In August 1992, Kocharyan became the head of the State Defense Committee of the NKR. This group held all executive powers during the war. He also became the Prime Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic that year. Kocharyan helped lead the NKR's war efforts against Azerbaijan. The war ended with a ceasefire agreement in May 1994. On December 24, 1994, Kocharyan was elected the NKR's first president. He was reelected by popular vote in November 1996.

Robert Kocharyan as Prime Minister of Armenia

On March 20, 1997, Kocharyan became the Prime Minister of Armenia. He left his role as President of the NKR for this new position. In February 1998, President Levon Ter-Petrosyan resigned. This happened because Kocharyan and other ministers disagreed with Ter-Petrosyan's peace plan for Karabakh. The plan suggested returning some Armenian-controlled territories to Azerbaijan.

Robert Kocharyan as President of Armenia

Kocharyan in December 2001

After President Ter-Petrosyan left office, Kocharyan was elected Armenia's second President. This happened on March 30, 1998. He won against Karen Demirchyan in an early election. Some people questioned if Kocharyan could run because he had lived in Nagorno-Karabakh. However, he was supported by the Republican Party of Armenia. He also re-legalized the Armenian Revolutionary Federation party early in his presidency.

Events of 1999

In May 1999, Kocharyan's allies won most seats in the parliamentary elections. Vazgen Sargsyan became prime minister, and Karen Demirchyan became the speaker of parliament. On October 27, 1999, Vazgen Sargsyan and Karen Demirchyan were killed in the 1999 Armenian parliament shooting. Five gunmen attacked the parliament building. Kocharyan himself talked with the attackers to free the hostages.

2003 Presidential Election

The 2003 Armenian Presidential election took place in two rounds. In the first round, President Kocharyan won just under 50% of the votes. In the second round, he defeated Stepan Demirchyan. Official results showed Kocharyan winning over 67% of the vote.

Some observers reported issues with the election. Many Armenians protested the results. However, Kocharyan was sworn in for his second term. The constitutional court supported the election results.

2008 Presidential Election

A new presidential election was held on February 19, 2008. President Kocharyan could not run for a third term. He supported Serzh Sargsyan for president.

After the election, supporters of another candidate, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, protested in Yerevan. On March 1, police and military forces broke up the protests. President Kocharyan declared a state of emergency for 20 days.

Foreign Policy as President

Kocharyan with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, November 2001

Kocharyan with French President Jacques Chirac, September 2006

As President, Kocharyan worked to find a peaceful solution for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He met with Azerbaijani Presidents Heydar Aliyev and Ilham Aliyev. Kocharyan wanted a "package deal" to solve all issues at once. This included the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In October 1999, Kocharyan was the first President of Armenia to visit Azerbaijan. He held talks with Heydar Aliyev at the border. They reportedly came close to an agreement in April 2001 during talks in Key West, USA.

Talks continued with Ilham Aliyev, Heydar Aliyev's son. Meetings were held in places like Astana, Rambouillet, and Washington, D.C. Despite hopes, these talks did not lead to a final agreement. Key issues like the status of Nagorno-Karabakh remained unsolved.

In September 2006, Kocharyan congratulated the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic on its 15th anniversary. He said that Armenia and all Armenians should help strengthen Nagorno-Karabakh. He also said they should work for its international recognition.

Robert Kocharyan's Post-Presidency Activities

After his presidency, Robert Kocharyan faced some legal challenges. He was briefly held in custody at different times. However, the legal case against him was later dropped in March 2021. This happened because the Constitutional Court of Armenia found the law he was tried under to be against the country's constitution.

Return to Politics

During the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, Kocharyan met with other former presidents. They discussed the situation. After Armenia's defeat in the war, Kocharyan called for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

In January 2021, Kocharyan announced he would participate in future elections. In May 2021, he confirmed he would run in the June 2021 snap parliamentary elections. He led a group called the Armenia Alliance. This alliance included the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Reborn Armenia party.

The Armenia Alliance came in second place in the election. They received 21% of the votes. Kocharyan and his alliance questioned the election results. Kocharyan decided not to take his seat in the National Assembly. He continues to lead the Armenia Alliance from outside parliament.

Robert Kocharyan's Views

Robert Kocharyan strongly supports Armenia's close relationship with Russia. He sees Russian President Vladimir Putin as a friend. In 2019, he wrote an article praising Russia's role in global politics. He also criticized what he called a "pro-Western government" in Armenia after the 2018 Armenian revolution.

Kocharyan believes that cooperation with Russia is very important for Armenia's security. He thinks it is the best option for the country. He also suggests that strong ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan are a threat to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Robert Kocharyan's Personal Life

Robert Kocharyan is married to Bella Kocharyan. They have three children: Sedrak, Gayane, and Levon. All their children were born in Stepanakert. Besides his native Armenian, Kocharyan also speaks Russian and English.

In his memoirs, published in 2020, he mentioned that he had some difficulty writing and reading in standard Armenian. He explained this is because many people in Karabakh speak the local Karabakh dialect or Russian as their first language. He was baptized in the Armenian Apostolic Church in 1996. However, he has stated that he is not a religious believer.