POSITION CHANGES AT RA FOREIGN MINISTRY

Azg/arm
28 Dec 04

By the decree of RA President Robert Kocharian, Armen Bayburdian, RA
ambassador to India, was appointed RA deputy foreign minister. Vartan
Oskanian affirmed at one of his last press conferences that a number
of new position changes are envisaged.

Gagik Baghdasarian and Arman Kirakosian, RA ambassadors to Italy and
the US, will soon return to Armenia. While Gegham Gharibjanian, RA
ambassador to Iran and RA representative to Qatar, has already
returned to Yerevan. He is likely to be appointed RA deputy foreign
minister as well.

At present, Ruben Shugarian, Tatoul Margarian and Armen Bayburdian are
RA deputy foreign ministers. Ruben Shugarian is to leave for Rome to
become RA ambassador to Italy. Tatoul Margarian will leave for the US
as RA ambassador. Armen Bayburdian has already been RA deputy foreign
minister in 1997-2000. In 2000 he was appointed RA ambassador to
India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Bayburdian, 40, is an expert
of the Armenian-European relations.

Karen Nazarian, councilors of Vartan Oskanian, former RA permanent
representative to Geneva, also expects a new position. He is also an
expert of the Armenian-European relations. At present, Garnik
Badalian, RA consul, is the acting RA ambassador to Teheran.

By Tatoul Hakobian