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Serzh Sarkisyan Սերժ Սարգսյան
3rd President of Armenia
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 April 2008
Prime Minister	Tigran Sargsyan
Preceded by	Robert Kocharyan
Prime Minister of Armenia
In office 26 March 2007 – 9 April 2008
President	Robert Kocharyan
Preceded by	Andranik Margaryan
Succeeded by	Tigran Sargsyan
Personal details
Born	(1954-06-30) 30 June 1954 (age 70) Stepanakert, Soviet Union (now Nagorno-Karabakh Republic)
Political party	Republican Party
Spouse	Rita Sargsyan
Alma mater	Yerevan State University

Serzh Azati Sargsyan (Template:Lang-hy, born June 30, 1954) is the third President of Armenia. He won the February 2008 presidential election with the backing of the conservative Republican Party of Armenia, a party in which he serves as chairman, and took office in April 2008. He is of no relation to the current Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan.

Personal details

Serzh Sargsyan was born on June 30, 1954 in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh (then the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast within Soviet Azerbaijan). He was admitted to Yerevan State University in 1971, served in the Soviet Armed Forces during 1971-72, and graduated from the Philological Department of Yerevan State University in 1979. In 1983, he married his wife, Rita. They have two daughters, Anush and Satenik, and one granddaughter, Mariam. He is the chairman of the Chess Federation of Armenia.

Early career

Sargsyan's career began in 1975 at the Electrical Devices Factory in Yerevan, where he worked as a metal turner until 1979 when he became head of the Stepanakert City Communist Party Youth Association Committee. Then served as second secretary, first secretary, the Stepanakert City Committee Propaganda Division Head, the Nagorno-Karabakh Regional Committee Communist Organizations' Unit Instructor, and finally as the assistant to Genrikh Poghosyan, the First Secretary of the Nagorno-Karabakh Regional Committee.

As tensions rose over Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, Sargsyan became chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Self-Defense Forces Committee and was subsequently elected to the Supreme Council of Armenia in 1990. He organized several battles in the Nagorno-Karabakh War and is considered to be one of the founders of Nagorno-Karabakh's and Armenia's armed forces. He became the Armenian defense minister in 1993, head of Armenian state security department in 1995 and minister of national security in 1996. In 1999, he became Robert Kocharyan's chief of staff, then secretary of the national security council, defense minister, and prime minister in 2007.

2008 presidential election

Sargsyan, with President Kocharyan's backing, was viewed as the strongest contender for the post of the President of Armenia in the February 2008 presidential election. Full provisional results showed him winning about 53% of the vote, a first round majority, well ahead of second place candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian. Ter-Petrossian's supporters, disputing the official results, held large protests in Yerevan for over a week following the election, until they were violently broken up by police on March 1; ten people were killed, and a state of emergency was imposed for 20 days, ending on March 20, 2008.

Presidency

Serzh Sargsyan was sworn in as President inside the Yerevan Opera House on April 9. Referring to the "painful events" that followed the election, he "urge everybody to look forward, together, to seek and find the way for reconciliation, development, and future of Armenia." He appointed Tigran Sargsyan, who had been the Chairman of the Central Bank and is not a member of a political party, as Prime Minister. Vazgen Manukyan, a former member of the Karabakh Committee and a prominent oppositionist, stated that he is optimistic and "will do everything to help this government become successful". On April 18, Sargsyan launched an unusually blistering attack on the Armenian customs, saying that "corruption within its ranks is 'thriving' and hampering the countrys economic development." He later authorized an opposition to take place in Yerevan and pledged to comply with the Council of Europe's demands for an end to the government's crackdown on the opposition.

Foreign policy

Sargsyan initially stated that he will continue Armenia's policy towards Turkey, to normalize relations without any preconditions while continuing to strive for international recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. However, on October 10, 2009, by accepting to sign the Turkish-Armenian protocols on the establishment of diplomatic relations, he most notably accepted a precondition in regards to the veracity of the Armenian genocide by accepting to study the issue in the context of a commission. Moreover, with his acceptation of the current Turkish-Armenian border, he neglected Armenian demands to Western Armenia supported by the Treaty of Sevres. He also stated that "Armenia's possible recognition of Kosovo's independence will not strain the Armenian-Russian relations" but also noted that "Kosovo recognition issue needs serious discussion ... Armenia has always been an adherent to the right of nations to self-determination and in this aspect we welcome Kosovo's independence."

Sargsyan made his first address in front of the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2008. In his address he referenced the 2008 South Ossetia conflict and emphasized the need for the United Nations to help bring peaceful resolution to armed conflicts around the world, including the one in Nagorno-Karabakh. He also mentioned how Azerbaijan's military buildup along with increasing war rhetoric and threats risked causing renewed problems in the South Caucasus.

Chess

Serzh Sargsyan is also the President of Armenian Chess Federation.

Honors

Serzh Sargsyan has thus far been conferred the following honors:

• Order of first Degree "Martakan Khach" ("Fighting Cross")
• Hero of Artsakh
• Knight of "Voske Artsiv" (Golden Eagle) order
• Order of "Tigran Mets"

Other details

Other transcriptions of his given name are Serge and Serj, of the surname Sarkissian, Sarkisyan, Sargsyan, Sarkissyan, the transliteration is Serž Azati Sargsyan (see Romanization of Armenian).

References

1. ^ Official biography of Serzh Sargsyan
2. "RPA nominates Serge Sargsyan for President". PanArmenian.net. 2007-11-10. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
3. ^ "Armenia: Sarkisian Sworn In As President", Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, April 9, 2008.
4. ^ Republican party biography of Serzh Sargsyan
5. "Sargsyan wins Armenian presidential race", Xinhua, February 20, 2008.
6. Marianna Grigoryan (2008-04-11). "The Other Sargsyan: PM Tigran in, political "independent" to lead government". ArmeniaNow. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |title= (help)
7. Astghik Bedevian (2008-04-17). "Manukian Looks Forward To Sarkisian Presidency". ArmeniaLiberty/Radio Free Europe. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |title= (help)
8. Emil Danielyan (2008-04-18). "Sarkisian Blasts 'Corrupt' Customs". ArmeniaLiberty/Radio Free Europe. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |title= (help)
9. Astghik Bedevian (2008-04-21). "Thousands Rally In Yerevan With Rare Government Consent". ArmeniaLiberty/Radio Free Europe. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |title= (help)
10. Hovannes Shoghikian and Emil Danielyan (2008-04-25). "Sarkisian Pledges To Meet Council Of Europe Demands". ArmeniaLiberty/Radio Free Europe. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |title= (help)
11. Emil Danielyan (2008-04-24). "Sarkisian Reaffirms Armenian Policy On Turkey". ArmeniaLiberty/Radio Free Europe.
12. "Armenia doesn’t view Kosovo as precedent", PanArmenian.net, 12 March 2008. Link accessed 2008-03-12.
13. "Statement by President Serzh Sargsyan at the General Debate of the 63 rd session of the general assembly". President.am. 2008-09-25. Retrieved 2009-04-11.

External links

• Official website
• Official website of the Republican Party of Armenia

v t e Presidents of Armenia
Armenia (since 1991)	Levon Ter-Petrosyan Robert Kocharyan Serzh Sargsyan Armen Sarkissian Alen Simonyan (Acting) Vahagn Khachaturyan

• 1954 births
• 21st-century heads of government in Asia
• 21st-century heads of government in Europe
• 21st-century national presidents in Asia
• 21st-century national presidents in Europe
• Armenian Apostolic Christians
• Armenian sports officials
• Chess officials
• Current national leaders
• Living people
• People from Stepanakert
• Presidents of Armenia
• Prime Ministers of Armenia
• Yerevan State University alumni