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Meet Vigen Sargsyan: Armenian Policy Advisor, 
MALD '00

By Erik Cetrulo (MALD '01)

Very recently, a terrorist attack on its parliament thrust Armenia into the world's spotlight. Yet there is reason to hope that even the assassination of its prime minister won't derail the steady progress of Armenia, according to Vigen Sargsyan, a second-year student and former advisor to the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament on foreign affairs. Sargsyan holds a Masters of International Relations degree magna cum laude from Yerevan State University and is also a graduate of the Academy of Civil Service in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Erik Cetrulo: What were your responsibilities in the Armenian Government before coming to Fletcher?

Vigen Sargsyan: Before coming to Fletcher, I worked as a Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. I was responsible for all of the international contacts the President's office had and coordinated the work of our delegations in the inter-parliamentary organizations, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Parliamentary Assemblies of CIS, Black Sea Economic Cooperation, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Council of Europe.

For us it was quite a new experience, because in the former USSR, part of which Armenia had been, foreign policy was obviously in the hands of Moscow, and the role of Parliament in those relations was absolutely nominal. For the first time we were trying to understand and appreciate the role Parliament and parliamentarians can play in foreign policy.


Vigen Sargsyan lecturing at the Armenian Youth Forum, Beirut, Lebanon

EC: What does the Armenian experience have in common with all newly independent states?

VS: As you know, Armenia re-established its statehood in 1991 after being part of the Soviet Union for over 70 years. The question of economic transition for us is part of a bigger question--of establishing a democratic society. So, what is typical for all countries in this process--tremendous socioeconomic difficulties accompanying such a change, a gap of leadership (for example when the older generation is typically representing the old school of thought), and a huge generation gap. Other commonalties are the need to overcome corruption, poverty, and falling educational levels, and the demoralization of society during the transition.

But Armenia's experience has also been unique. First of all, this is a people with a very long history (dating back to the 8th century B.C.). So although it is a new state, it is a nation which has its own political tradition, and a very, very strong historic memory. Another unique dimension is the very large Armenian diaspora worldwide, formed during the Ottoman Empire after the Armenian Genocide of the beginning of this century. The link Armenia has with its diaspora and the role the diaspora was and is playing throughout the establishment of Armenian statehood is immeasurable. This has really seriously differentiated Armenia from other countries in transition.

Another very important factor has been mono-nationality. 97 percent of the population is Armenian. This is very different from other countries of the former Soviet Union, where the multinational composition of the society was the source of many conflicts. The socioeconomic status of the Republic before independence is also noteworthy. Armenia had one of the highest levels of literacy (99 percent of the adult population, 48 percent of whom had higher education degrees), high levels of health service for the population (medicine was free and of a good quality), the lowest level of unemployment in the USSR, one of the highest percentages of jobs in the non-industrial sector. Now, when people are adjusting to living quite a different type of life (which is, as we discussed, typical for countries in transition) this is creating a very serious discrepancy in the minds between "how it was" and "how it is."

EC: Has the recent assassination of Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian affected the 1994 ceasefire with Azerbaijan?

VS: I strongly believe it will not affect the ceasefire, which is of great importance for many big powers involved in the region. Unfortunately, it is already clear that it has affected the overall peace process. Something very important has to be kept in the mind: there can be no Karabagh settlement without effective compromises on both sides. Such effective compromises are politically very difficult for any leader because they create a basis for a lot of political speculation. To make such concessions, the leader must have a very stable internal situation and very high level of public support. Now, if you recall the shock and turbulence which political assassinations at this level create (Kennedy, Gandhi, Palme, Rabin) you will understand that these events been destabilizing in Armenian politics, and therefore affected the capacity of our President to make such concessions.

EC: What is your vision for Armenia's future?

VS: Well, most hopefully, we will continue building up the democratic institutional framework for strong statehood, we will succeed in establishing democratic markets and building civil society. This cannot, however, be expected to occur until a whole range of objective and subjective obstacles are removed. The Karabagh conflict is a major problem. As you know, the conflict is 11 years old, has been very bloody one, and today we all continue to live in a "neither peace nor war" situation, which is alarming and destabilizing, of course. No ceasefire which would not be supported by constructive political change to follow can succeed, in my view. It seems that both parties are well aware of that, and now are trying to take new steps in the direction of the regulation of that conflict.

EC: How did Fletcher fit into your plans?

VS: You know, when one is in the civil service, especially in a job which he really likes, it is really very difficult to interrupt the job and go back to school. But I had a big problem--I absolutely did not have time a) to read the books I wanted to read; b) to reflect on the events which were unfolding with enormous speed (as always happens in states in creation). I decided to take "a break." I had heard wonderful things about the Fletcher program from our first Foreign Minister, Mr. Raffi Hovhannisyan and our current foreign Minister, Mr. Vardan Oskanyan, who are both Fletcher alums, and decided that this is the school where I would like to spend two years of my life.


Vigen Sargsyan: Sharp Dressed Man

 

EC: How has your Fletcher experience contributed to your outlook?

VS: Multi-disciplinary, international, diverse. . . No, seriously, I find it amazing to have the chance to study with people who are all leaders (even when not in ambitions, at least in their mindset), who are all willing to bring change, who are ready to take responsibility and want to make a difference. I find the open-ended curriculum and the variety of choices absolutely fascinating. I have became much more international in this school, and have learned a lot about different cultures, and peoples, and lifestyles. I strongly believe that the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy is unique.

What are your future plans?

I want to get back to my country, and to the civil service--where my presence would make a difference (one thing I will never die of is modesty). I have a credo in my life--I try not to waste my years on doing what would have been done even without me. It does not matter if are you a diplomat or a shoemaker: if you love your job, and every day, when going to bed, you are excited about things you will do tomorrow--you are the happiest person.

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