Minister of Foreign Affairs (Armenia)
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia (MFA) is a state body of executive power, which elaborates and implements the
foreign policy A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...
of the Government of Armenia and organizes and manages diplomatic services. The MFA acts accordingly to the Constitution and legislation of Armenia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinates the activities of the executive power bodies of the Republic in the international arena. Since 2021, Ararat Mirzoyan has been the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia.


Mission

The activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are aimed at: *strengthening of foreign security of Armenia, *maintaining favorable external conditions for the development of Armenia, *representing Armenian positions in the international area, *protecting the interests of Armenia and its citizens abroad, *deepening of involvement within international organizations and international processes, *further enhancement of cooperation with friendly and partner countries, *normalization of relations with those countries with which there are problems, *further development and deepening of ties with Armenian communities abroad, *international recognition of the Armenian genocide and the Republic of Artsakh, *establishment of stability, cooperation, security and peace in the Caucasus region.


History


Early Armenian diplomatic history

In 1918, in parallel with the restoration of Armenia's statehood, Armenia gained international recognition and established diplomatic ties with several other states. Armenia established diplomatic relations with Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, and other countries. Plenipotentiary representatives were appointed to the United States, Bulgaria, Finland,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, among other countries. Meanwhile, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Iran opened diplomatic representations in Yerevan.


Soviet era

After the establishment of Soviet rule in December 1920, the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs of the
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...
was founded. After the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (TSFSR) was founded in July 1922, the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs (PCFA) of the
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...
(Armenian SSR) was eliminated, taking into consideration the fact that the general management of TSFSR member states’ foreign policy was carried out by the TSFSR Council. In addition, national foreign policy was determined by the
People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs The Ministry of External Relations (MER) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (russian: Министерство иностранных дел СССР) was founded on 6 July 1923. It had three names during its existence: People's Co ...
. In the final years of the Second world war, the Soviet leadership decided to expand the foreign policy functions of the Union republics. To prepare the necessary personnel, the Faculty of International Relations was established at the Yerevan State University (functioning from 1945 to 1952). In the postwar years, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Armenian SSR operated under the guidance of the Council of Ministers of the Armenian SSR, the Soviet MFA and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Armenia. Between 1975-1985, the MFA of the Armenian SSR did productive work on collecting information on developments in the Armenian Diaspora, on Armenian issues, and in the direction of preparing the decisions of republic's leadership and development the Political Armenology. With the beginning of the Karabakh movement in 1988, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Armenian SSR was transferring international reactions of the events in Nagorno-Karabakh, to the USSR and to the leadership of the Armenian SSR. The staff of the MFA of the Armenian SSR underwent significant pressure due to the devastating
1988 Armenian earthquake The 1988 Armenian earthquake, also known as the Spitak earthquake ( hy, Սպիտակի երկրաշարժ, ), occurred on December 7 at with a surface wave magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum MSK intensity of X (''Devastating''). The shock occurre ...
, when it became necessary to deal with the issues of organizing huge humanitarian aid arriving from abroad, as well as with issues of political, diplomatic and consular support. During the Soviet era, especially after the 1988 earthquake, the leadership of the Armenian SSR several times asked the central government for greater involvement of representatives of the republic's MFA in Soviet foreign missions, especially in countries with large Armenian communities. Only in 1960, 82 diplomats, recommended by the Armenian SSR, worked at the Soviet Embassy in France.


Independence

With the proclamation of independence of Armenia in 1991, the activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic radically changed, taking into account the new status of Armenia in international relations. The structure of the Ministry and the quantity of staff were brought in line with the requirements of the foreign policy of an independent state. Its duties are enshrined in the Law on Consular Service. A special body was created within the MFA to coordinate cooperation with the Armenian Diaspora at the state level, on the basis of which the Ministry of Diaspora was established in October 2008. The first assignment of diplomatic ranks was held in July 1992. Since 1996, the MFA of Armenia has been located at the Republic Square in Government House #2 (which was built in 1955 by architect Samvel Safarian). Between 1991-1996, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was located currently where the Constitutional Court is located. The Foreign Ministry has its own awards, with the Commemorative Medal of the Ministry being instituted in 2002, and in 2009, the Medal “80 years of John Kirakosyan” was created.


Structure


Press service

Press secretaries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1991: * Garnik Badalyan (1991-1992) * Aram Safaryan (1993-1996) * Arsen Gasparyan (1997-1999) * Ara Papyan (1999-2000) * Dzyunik Aghajanyan (2000-2003) * Hamlet Gasparyan (2003-2006) * Vladimir Karapetyan (2006-2008) * Tigran Balayan (2008-2018) * Anna Naghdalyan (since 2018)


Protocol service

As the first department of the MFA in 1991, the Armenian State Protocol Service within the MFA was established in 1998, and later on, in 2002 was succeeded by the MFA “State Protocol Service” Agency, with the status of a separated subdivision of the Ministry. In the making of State Protocol great significance is given to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Armenia of March 16, 2002, which approved the “Basic Principles of the State Protocol of the Republic of Armenia. It is divided into the Diplomatic Missions Division, the Diplomatic Corps Division and the Official Visits Division.


Diplomatic school

Since 2010, a Diplomatic school operates within the MFA of the Republic of Armenia offices.


Diplomatic relations

Armenia has established diplomatic relations with 178 countries (as of November 2020). Armenia became a member of the United Nations in 1992, and is currently a member of over 70 international organizations including the OSCE,
CIS Cis or cis- may refer to: Places * Cis, Trentino, in Italy * In Poland: ** Cis, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, south-central ** Cis, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, north Math, science and biology * cis (mathematics) (cis(''θ'')), a trigonome ...
, CSTO,
Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
,
EAEU The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU or EEU)EAEU is the acronym used on thorganisation's website However, many media outlets use the acronym EEU. is an economic union of some post-Soviet states located in Eurasia. The Treaty on the Eurasian Econo ...
, La Francophonie, and the BSEC.


Diplomatic representations

Since independence, Armenia has opened embassies and consulates in many countries, while permanent missions have been established to a number of international organizations. As of November 2020, there are 43 embassies, 10 consulate-generals, 4 consulates and consular agencies, 40 honorary consulates, and over 20 Permanent Missions accredited to various international organizations.


List of Ministers


First Armenian Republic The First Republic of Armenia, officially known at the time of its existence as the Republic of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Հանրապետութիւն), was the first modern Armenian state since the loss of Armenian statehood in the Middle ...

* Alexander Khatisian (1918, 1919–1920) *
Hovhannes Kajaznuni Hovhannes Kajaznuni or Katchaznouni (; 14 February 1868 – 15 January 1938) was an Armenian architect and politician who served as the first Prime Minister of the First Republic of Armenia from June 6, 1918 to August 7, 1919. He was a member of ...
(1918) *
Sirakan Tigranyan Sirakan Tadevosi Tigranyan ( hy, Սիրական Թադևոսի Տիգրանյան; 1875–1937) was an Armenian politician who served as Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Armenia), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the First Republic of Armenia from 1918 t ...
(1918–1919) * Hamo Ohanjanian (1920) * Simon Vratsian (1920)


Armenian SSR

* Alexander Bekzadian (1920–1921) *
Askanaz Mravyan Askanaz Harutyuni Mravyan ( hy, Ասքանազ Հարությունի Մռավյան, – October 23, 1929) was a Soviet Armenian statesman and political activist. He was one of the early leaders of Soviet Armenia. Biography Askanaz Mravyan wa ...
(1921–1922) * Sahak Karapetyan (1944–1946) * Gevorg (Kimik) Hovhannisian (1947–1954) * Anton Kochinyan (1954–1958) * Balabek Martirosian (1958–1972) * Kamo Udumian (1972–1975) * John Kirakosyan (1975–1985) *
Anatoly Mkrtichian Anatoly (russian: Анато́лий, Anatólij , uk, Анато́лій, Anatólij ) is a common Russian and Ukrainian male given name, derived from the Greek name ''Anatolios'', meaning "sunrise." Other common Russian transliterations are Ana ...
(1986–1991)


Republic of Armenia

*
Raffi Hovannisian Raffi K. Richardi Hovannisian ( hy, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Հովհաննիսյան; hyw, Րաֆֆի Կ. Ռիչարդի Յովհաննէսեան; born 20 November 1959) is an Armenian politician, the first Foreign Minister of Armenia and t ...
(1991–1992) * Arman Kirakossian (Acting Minister – 1992–1993) *
Vahan Papazian Vahan Papazian ( hy, Վահան Փափազյան; 1876–1973), also known by his pseudonym Goms (Կոմս) was an Armenian doctor, politician, political activist who was one of the leaders of the Armenian national liberation movement. He was the ...
(1993–1996) * Alexander Arzoumanian (1996–1998) * Vartan Oskanian (1998–2008) *
Eduard Nalbandyan Eduard Aghvani Nalbandian ( hy, Էդվարդ Աղվանի Նալբանդյան; born July 16, 1956) is an Armenian diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia from April 2008 to May 2018. Biography Edward Nalbandian was born i ...
(2008–2018) *
Zohrab Mnatsakanyan Zohrab Hrachiki Mnatsakanyan ( hy, Զոհրաբ Հրաչիկի Մնացականյան, born 20 March 1966) is an Armenian diplomat. Mnatsakanyan previously served as Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Armenia), Minister of Foreign Affairs and Armenia's ...
(2018–2020) *
Ara Ayvazyan Ara Henrii Ayvazyan ( hy, Արա Հենրիի Այվազյան, born 30 March 1969) is an Armenian diplomat and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. Early life and career Ayvazyan was born on 30 March 1969 in Yerevan. From 1986 to ...
(2020–2021) * Armen Grigoryan (Acting Minister – 2021) * Ararat Mirzoyan (2021–present)


See also

*
Armenia and the United Nations Armenia was admitted into the United Nations on 2 March 1992, following its independence from the Soviet Union. In December 1992, the UN opened its first office in Yerevan. Since then, Armenia has signed and ratified several international treat ...
* Armenia–European Union relations * Armenia in the Council of Europe *
Eastern European Group The Group of Eastern European States (EEG) is one of the five United Nations regional groups and is composed of 23 Member States from Eastern, Central and Southern Europe. The Group, as with all the regional groups, is a non-binding dialogue ...
* Eastern Partnership * Eurasian Economic Union *
Euronest Parliamentary Assembly The Euronest Parliamentary Assembly is the inter-parliamentary forum in which members of the European Parliament and the national parliaments of Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia participate and forge closer political and economic ...
* Foreign relations of Armenia *
List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia The following is a list of those who have served as foreign ministers of Armenia. See also * Foreign relations of Armenia * List of ambassadors of Armenia * List of diplomatic missions in Armenia * List of diplomatic missions of Armenia * Lis ...
* List of diplomatic missions in Armenia *
List of diplomatic missions of Armenia This is a list of diplomatic missions of Armenia. Armenia is a landlocked country located in the Southern Caucasus. Over 8 million Armenians reside abroad, with large communities located in Russia, France, Iran, United States, Georgia, Lebanon, A ...
*
List of ambassadors of Armenia This is a current list of ambassadors of Armenia accredited to other countries, including those having dual accreditation ( ambassadors-at-large) and ambassadors accredited directly from Yerevan. List of representatives See also * List o ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ministry Of Foreign Affairs (Armenia)
Foreign Affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership organization and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and ...
Foreign relations of Armenia Armenia Armenia, Foreign Affairs