Republican Party of Armenia has nominated Armen Sarkissian as presidential candidate. The Party made the decision at the sitting of the Executive Body on Thursday.
Today Armen Sarkissian had a meeting with President Serzh Sargsyan.
“I think the fourth President of the Republic of Armenia should be a skilled and bright individual. He should be able to organize dialogue between different political forces and different layers of society to mitigate tensions, if needed, President Sargsyan said at the meeting.
President Sargsyan said it would be desirable for the fourth President to be elected with broad consent among political forces.
Armen Sarkissian, in turn, expressed gratitude to President Serzh Sargsyan and the Republican Party of Armenia for the trust, adding that the proposal is an honor to him.
He expressed the desire to meet with representatives of the broad circles of society, representatives of the scientific, intellectual circles, NGOs, businessmen and the working class.
Armen Sarkissian said he would also like to meet with the leadership of Artsakh and Diaspora representatives.
He said he needs time to make a final decision.
Born in Yerevan on June 23, 1951, Armen Sarkissian graduated from the Yerevan State University (Department of Theoretical Physics and Mathematics).
Dr Sarkissian is Vice Chairman of East West Institute and holds honorary and executive positions in numerous international organisations, including Member of Dean’s Advisory Board, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Dean’s Advisory Board, Harris School of Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago; Board Member of IREX; International Economic Alliance; Global Leadership Foundation (headed by former President of South Africa F. W. De Klerk) and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary & Westfield College, London University; the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia,National Competitiveness Council of Armenia, and others.
In 1997 His Holiness Pope John Paul II bestowed the St. Gregory the Great Award to Dr. Sarkissian. In 2008 he received the highest honour in the Armenia Church, the St. Gregory the Illuminator medal, from His Holiness Karekin II, the Catholicos Patriarch of All Armenians in Holy Etchmiadzin.
From 1976 to 1984 he was a professor of Physics at Yerevan State University and subsequently Head of the Department of Computer Modelling of Complex Systems at the University’s Department of Theoretical Physics. In 1984 he became a Visiting Research Fellow and later professor at the University of Cambridge.
In October 1991, Dr. Sarkissian established the first Armenian Embassy in the West in London. In addition to his diplomatic mission to the United Kingdom, he went on to become Senior Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Europe (Deputy Foreign Minister) and concurrently represented Armenia as Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and The Vatican. In 1995-96 he was Head of Mission of the Republic of Armenia to Europe. He was reappointed Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1998.
Dr. Sarkissian was the Prime Minister of Armenia from 1996 to 1997. He has served as Special Advisor to the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Develop-ment and as a Governor of EBRD from 1993-2000.
Against the background of a decade-long, dynamic diplomatic service and leadership, in 2000 Dr. Sarkissian established the Eurasia Centre at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School. Under his leadership, the Programme implemented a series of very successful projects, such as the Eurasia Business Executive and Leadership Programme for young business professionals in the Eurasia region.
Dr. Sarkissian has advised the CEOs and Corporate Boards of large global companies, including BP, Alcatel, Telefonica, Finmeccanica, Bekaerd, and others.
Sarkissian is senior advisor to Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He is the founding President of Eurasia House International in London.
The Armenian National Assembly is set to elect Armenia’s 4th President on March 2.
