by AGBU News
Raffi Hovannisian - Foreign Minister of Armenia
Opening Armenian embassies in the United States, England and soon Canada, Argentina, France, Germany, Lebanon and Central Asia, welcoming the arrival of Foreign Ambassadors in Yerevan, negotiating international relations, exchanges and bilateral agreements, Raffi Hovannisian, a California attorney, has been on a non-stop tour of the world since his appointment as Foreign Minister six months ago.
Recruiting diaspora and local Armenians, the Foreign Minister in Armenia now has an energetic staff of seventy.
The Foreign Ministry in Armenia was established just after World War II when many of the Soviet republics had hopes they would be recognized by the United Nations. In the ensuing forty-five years, with all foreign policy tightly controlled by Moscow, the Ministry was relegated to simply greeting official foreign visitors to Armenia.
Mr. Hovannisian and his wife, Arminé, (born in Armenia) speak fluent Russian and Armenian and are the parents of three children. Mrs. Hovannisian is Director of the Project Hope, Armenian Assembly and Red Cross Consortium, representing their Armenia Projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Aid.
Sebu Tashjian - Minister of Energy
"Every day it's crisis management," says Sebu Tashjian, the Southern California Edison energy specialist. Accepting the position of Minister of Energy for one year, Mr. Tashjian took a three quarter pay cut to serve.
Each evening from six to ten Mr. Tashjian holds staff meetings to discuss priorities. With 35,000 workers in the field, he expects to expand ministry supervisory personnel to eighty-five. "That's the easy part," says Sebu Tashjian laughing, "Hiring a secretary is something else, I'm on my third one. They're only used to making coffee and answering the phone here. And then they never ask who's calling. But they do ask every five minutes if I want coffee. The hours are nine to six but if I'm away from my office for a few hours so is she."
Joking aside Mr. Tashjian puts in fourteen hour days including Sunday. "We are receiving only 30% of our energy requirements. We need 20 million cubic meters of gas for instance but we are getting an average of 5 million. Late April, for the first time, about 8 million total flowed in from Georgia. We had to threaten Turkmenia that we wouldn't buy anymore from them if they couldn't deliver. They finally put pressure on Azerbaijan."
Iran has promised 500,000 tons of oil to be shipped via rail through Julfa, Nakichevan. Armenia will pay in goods and services. "Actually," he adds "Armenia can process their oil. Iran has four hour blackouts a day since their equipment was damaged during the Iran-Iraqi war. And Armenia builds the best pipelines in the Soviet Union. Within two months the lines could be completed."
Meeting with Turkish officials on broad economic issues, Sebu Tashjian finds them very polite, always ready to buy drinks and dinner but every conversation ends up with political demands and an airing of past issues. "They have a surplus of energy. All the lines are in. With one flip of the switch Turkey could supply Armenia." At one time when the nuclear power plant was operating Armenia had surplus, selling to Moscow and then Moscow selling to Turkey.
"We're going to have to find some venture capital or substantial loans in order to supply the country sufficient power," he adds.
Born in Jerusalem and a resident of Los Angeles, Sebu Tashjian spends his few leisure hours talking to his wife and two children who have remained in Los Angeles. "We spend most of the time crying because we miss each other so much. But I know that right now this is something I have to do."
Dr. Girard Libaridian: From Bosotn to Yerevan
The Supreme Council's Center for Research and Analysis is completing its second year of providing information to the President and Parliament. The brainchild of Dr. Girard Libaridian, past Director of the Zoryan Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Center scans the latest newspapers, periodicals and magazines along with the analysis and study of pertinent political issues for distribution among Armenia's elected officials. A close advisor to President Levon Ter Petrossian, Dr. Libaridian offers an expert Western view on international relations and events.
Dr. Libaridian has organized a staff of local Turkish, French, English, German and Arabic translators who pore over current publications and computerize condensed information. In the coming months several additional French, Canadian and American volunteers will be a welcome addition to the office. During his trips to the United States Dr. Libaridian draws a large audience to his lectures on the Democratic progress in Armenia and the present structure and work of the government.
Matthew Der Manuelian
Representing North America, Matthew Der Manuelian, an attorney from Boston, Massachusetts, has spent most of the past three years in Armenia. First as Director of the US based Armenian Assembly office and now heading the North American desk at the Foreign Ministry. Dedicated, specially in the difficult aftermath of the earthquake, Mr. Der Manuelian speaks now and then of going back home but at the same time spends his few off hours apartment hunting in Yerevan.
Raffi Sarafian
Raffi Sarafian, originally from Chicago, was a field representative for a local assemblyman in Glendale, CA before volunteering to serve in Armenia.
Both he and Matthew Der Manuelian have adjoining offices on the fifth floor of the Foreign Ministry Building. Lined with maps of North America, computers and a desk laden with papers (this is a new phenomenon in Armenia. You can always tell the old guard from the new by the number of papers on their desk), Mr. Sarafian has a full schedule coordinating official US visits to Armenia.
Reverend Father Krikor Hairabedian
"I knew only one person before I came. Now I have so many new friends," says Fr. Krikor Hairabedian. "I always wanted to serve in Armenia. I expected to do my share for a few weeks and return home but, instead, I've decided to stay for two years." As Director of Religious Education at the Araratian Diocese in Yerevan, Fr. Krikor is responsible for the training of teachers who will conduct religion classes in the public school system and Bible classes for church youth groups in Armenia.
During the many years of repression most clergy were limited to performing only the rituals of the church. "Things have changed tremendously. A healthy relationship is beginning to develop between clergymen and their parishioners. People are learning to turn to God and to the church," he says with pride.
Born in Beirut in 1927, Fr. Krikor came to the United States in 1959. Majoring in education, he studied at Dominican College and received his Masters at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He served the Holy Martyrs Parish in Bayside, New York, before leaving for Armenia.
