On September 21, the 301 team had the opportunity to sit down with David Babayan, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh, during his visit to Washington D.C. Here’s the full interview.
Foreign Minister Babayan was in Washington D.C. leading a delegation that included Artsakh’s Deputy Minister of Culture, Education, Sports and Science Lernik Hovhanissian to participate in the ANCA’s Federal Policy Seminar and a series of Congressional consultations, think tank briefings, university lectures, media interviews, church visits, and community meetings.
Throughout his trip, FM Babayan was vocal about the existential, genocidal threats facing the people of Artsakh and the need for united action to support the burgeoning democracy.
Born in Artsakh’s capital Stepanakert, Babayan has served as Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh since January, 2021. Prior to that, he has held positions in government ministries of the Artsakh Republic including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2000 – 2001); the Presidential Planning Group (2001 – 2015); Assistant to the President (2005 – 2007); Head of the Central Information Department of the Office President (2007 – 2021). He founded and currently leads the “Artsakh Conservative Party.”
Babayan has received a 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. He has authored more than 300 articles and monographs of scientific research in the areas of the Azerbaijan – Artsakh (Karabakh) negotiations, Caucasus geopolitics, great power competition and Chinese geopolitics.