Armenia’s acting foreign minister and minister of defense to retain their posts

YEREVAN, April 19. /ARKA/. Armenia’s acting minister of defense Seyran Ohanyan and foreign minister Edward Nalbandyan will retain their posts, vice-speaker of Armenian parliament and member of ruling Republican Party executive committee Eduard Sharmazanov told journalists Thursday.

The party’s executive meeting supported their nominations, Sharmazanov said. The meeting has also backed acting premier Tigran Sargsyan’s nomination for premier’s post.

Under the Armenian constitution article 55, reelected president Serzh Sargsyan was sworn in on April 9th and accepted the resignation of the government on the same day. 

Under constitutional provisions, the president is to appoint a new premier based on distribution of parliament seats and consultations with parliament factions, within 10 days after accepting the resignation. The new cabinet is formed within 20 days after the appointment of the premier.

Seyran Ohanyan was born in 1962 in Shushi of Nagorno-Karabakh. He graduated from Supreme Military Command School of Baku Supreme Military Command School of Baku in 1983.

Served in the Soviet Army Group in Germany in 1983, then transferred to the Trans-Caucasian Military District and appointment to the post of commander of rifle-company of the 366th motor-shooting regiment in the city of Stepanakert in July 1988. Appointed to the post of assistant to the commander of the rifle battalion of this regiment in August 1989, then to the post of commander of the rifle battalion in September 1990.

In April 1992, after removal of the motor-shooting regiment from Stepanakert, Ohanyan continued his service in the NKR (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) army of defense.

In September 1994 Ohanyan was appointed to the post of first assistant to the commander of the army of defense, then as commander of the 5th Army Corps in October 1998. He became Minister of Defense of the NKR in August 1999 and NKR Minister of Defense-commander of the army of defense in January 2000

In May 2007, Ohanyan was appointed as First Deputy Minister of Defense - Chief of RA Armed Forces General Staff, under a president of Armenia decree. In April 2008 general-colonel Ohanyan became Armenia’s Minister of Defense.

Edward Nalbandyan was born in 1956. He graduated from Moscow State University of international Relations in 1978 and completed its post-graduate course completed at the Oriental Studies Institute of Soviet Union Academy of Sciences with a degree of Master of Political Sciences in 1988.

He worked in USSR Embassy in Lebanon in 1978-1983, USSR Foreign Affairs Ministry in 1983-1986, 

Adviser with SU (Soviet Union) embassy in 1986-1992, advisor with Russian Federation embassy in Egypt in 1992-1993.

In 1994-1998 he was first Armenia's Charge d'Affaires, then Armenia’s Ambassador to Egypt, Morocco and Oman (residence in Cairo).

Nalbandyan was appointed RA (Republic of Armenia) Ambassador to France in March 1999, RA Ambassador to Israel (residence in Paris) in January 2000, RA Ambassador to Andorra (residence in Paris) in September 2004, RA President's Personal Representative in the International Organization of Francophonie in December 2006.

Appointed as Armenia’s minister of foreign affairs in April 2008 and re-appointed in June 2012. Speaks French, English, Russian and Arabic. -0-