VARTAN OSKANIAN HONORED WITH DEAN’S MEDAL OF TUFTS UNIVERSITY FLETCHER SCHOOL

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.10.2007 16:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian addressed
a gathering of students and faculty at the Tufts University Fletcher
School in Medford, Massachusetts on October 5.

Prior to delivering his address, the Minister was awarded the Dean’s
Medal by Fletcher Dean Steven Bosworth, a former U.S. ambassador. The
Minister, a graduate of the Fletcher School, is the most recent
recipient of the medal, awarded to distinguished Fletcher alumni
including Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia
Hassan Wirajuda, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Former UN
Undersecretary Shashi Tharoor, Liu Xiaoming, Chinese Ambassador to
the DPRK.

The Minister expressed his appreciation for the special award,
and continued by thanking the Fletcher School administration for
the continuing special relationship between the Fletcher School
and Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Fletcher School,
in partnership with Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, has accepted five
groups of 15 diplomats and civil servants for special certificate
programs since 1999.

In addition to diplomats from the foreign ministry, civil servants from
the ministries of finance, trade, justice, health, the president’s
office, the prosecutor general’s office and other agencies have
benefited from the program. The program is supported entirely by
the Tavitian Foundation, founded by philanthropist-businessman Aso
Tavitian, to develop capacity within Armenia’s government, by enabling
and encouraging continuing education for mid-career professionals. The
program is designed under the guidance of Dr. Joyce Barsam, a member
of the Tufts University Board of Trustees, and also a member of the
Tavitian Foundation.

Following the award ceremony, Minister Oskanian spoke about the
"Diplomacy of Small Countries." He referred to the various global
and regional challenges which adversely affect smaller countries,
and spoke about the specific strategic choices made by Armenia
since independence. He spoke about the region, Armenia’s relations
with all its neighbors, and about the challenges facing Armenia’s
foreign policy.

A question-answer session followed in which Fletcher School’s many
international students, as well as faculty, participated, the RA MFA
press office reported.