In collaboration with the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region, the Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA will host Davit Babayan, Ph.D., the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh, for a conversation about the future of Artsakh.  
  
This event will take place at UCLA Mong Learning Center at 404 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, on Wednesday, September 28, at 7 PM Pacific Time. Registration for this in-person event is required and free.
  
Following the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh, the November 9 ceasefire agreement, the subsequent constant violations of said agreement, and the most recent attacks on Armenia, the future of Artsakh and the region are uncertain and of great concern for the global Armenian community. Foreign Minister Babayan, who has extensive experience in Artsakh’s government and deep knowledge of the region’s geopolitical landscape, will address this question and engage with the LA-Armenian community.  
  
This event is co-sponsored by the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA Law, the International and Comparative Law Program at UCLA Law, and the UCLA Armenian Students’ Association.  
 
During his visit to the United States, Foreign Minister Babayan will also headline the ANCA-WR Grassroots Conference as the keynote speaker on Saturday, September 24. In addition, a member of Republic of Armenia’s International Court of Justice delegation, Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Ph.D., adviser to the Prime Minister of Armenia and the representative of Armenia before the European Court of Human Rights, will speak at the Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA Law on Monday, September 26 at 12:15 PM about the use of international law by small states.  
 
Davit Babayan was born in Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh. He was appointed Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh for a second time in January 2021; prior to this, from 2007-2021, he was Artsakh’s presidential spokesperson. He also served as an Adviser to the President of Artsakh from 2005 to 2007. Dr. Babayan is the founding leader of the “Artsakh Conservative Party.” He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Yerevan Institute of National Economy, and master’s degrees from American University of Armenia and the Central European University (Budapest). He holds a doctorate in historical science from the Armenian National Academy of Sciences Institute of Oriental Studies. Dr. Babayan has authored more than 300 articles and monographs related to Azerbaijan – Artsakh (Karabakh) negotiations, Caucasus geopolitics, great power competition, and Chinese geopolitics.  
  
The Promise Armenian Institute (PAI) was established at UCLA in late 2019 as a hub for world-class research and teaching on Armenian Studies and for coordinating Interdisciplinary Research and Public Impact Programs across UCLA, and with the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora.    
  
The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential nonpartisan Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States.