H. E. Arkady Ghoukasian
President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, 1997-2007
Arkady Ghoukasian was born in Stepanakert, Nagorno
Karabagh on June 22, 1957. In 1979 he graduated from Yerevan State University
with a degree in linguistics.
He started his working career as a corespondent
for "Soviet Karabagh" newspaper, becoming its Deputy Editor-in-Chief
in 1981.
In 1991 Arkady Ghoukasian was elected to the
first Parliament of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic. In September of 1992,
he was appointed the Political Adviser to the Chairman of the State
Defense Committee (SDC), and headed the NKR delegations during OSCE
negotiations with Azerbaijan.
Arkady Ghoukasian has been a member of the Nagorno
Karabagh's Security Council since 1993. On July 23, 1993 Arkady Ghoukasian
became the first Foreign Minister of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic.
In his capacity of the Political Adviser to
the to the SDC Chairman and of the Foreign Minister, he participated
in all negotiations on Nagorno Karabagh conflict settlement. Arkady
Ghoukasian gave lectures on Karabagh conflict settlement at a number
of renowned international institutions, including the International
Diplomatic Academy of France, George Washington University, and the
World Affairs Council (LA). He also participated in hearings on the
Karabagh conflict in the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
During the presidential elections in September
of 1997, winning the absolute majority of votes, Arkady Ghoukasian was
elected President of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic. On August 11, 2002
winning an overwhelming majority of votes, Ghoukasian was re-elected
President of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic.
Arkady Ghoukasian holds a diplomatic rank of
an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. He is a member of the
International Academy of Nature and Society. Arkady Ghoukasian is married
and has two children.
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