Armen Khachatryan

Armen Khachatryan was an Armenian academic, politician, and diplomat who was named the president of the National Assembly following the death most of its leadership in the Armenian parliament shooting.

Early life Khachatryan was born in Yerevan on 13 August 1957. He earned a PhD in Philology from the Khachatur Abovyan Yerevan Pedagogical Institute in 1978. He chaired the Assembly's Standing Committee on Foreign Relations. Khachatryan would be injured in the shooting. He would also be joined by his deputy Gagik Aslanian with an estimated half of the 18-member People's Party Assembly delegation leaving the party.

In July 2002 Khachatryan blocked an effort by the Assembly to impeach President Kocharian by refusing to place the issue on the legislative agenda. Afterwards, the pro-Kocharian camp empowered the speaker to remove any member of the assembly if they are being disruptive as several anti-Kocharian MPs would seize the podium during proceedings to try and raise the issue of impeachment.

Diplomatic career After retiring from politics Khachatryan had a successful diplomatic career, serving as Armenia's Ambassador to Ukraine from 2004 to 2016 and was also Armenia's Ambassador to Moldova from 2004 to 2017 and Armenia's Ambassador to Belarus from 2010 to 2017.

Awards

Commonwealth Order - CIS

For exceptional activity in strengthening the unity of Orthodoxx peoples - International Fund of Orthodox Peoples

Fridtjof Nansen Gold Medal - Fridtjof Nansen Institute Order of St. Ignatius Theophoros - Assyrian Church of the East Cossack Cross - Ukraine

Order of Gorchakov - Russia St. George Medal - Ukraine