Edward Nalbandian was born in 1956 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR. At the age of 22 he graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations. In 1988 he received his Ph.D. in political science from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR National Academy of Sciences.[3] Nalbandian speaks Armenian, French, English, Russian and Arabic. He is married and has a daughter.
Diplomatic career
Nalbandyan with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington, D.C., 4 June 2013
Nalbandian started his diplomatic career in 1978. After obtaining his doctorate degree in political science, Nalbandian was sent first to Lebanon as a diplomat and then, in 1986, appointed First Secretary of the USSR Embassy in Egypt. In 1982, Nalbandian was the youngest diplomat in the Soviet Union to be awarded the highest diplomatic medal for his service, the Peoples Friendship Medal, the USSR's third highest honor.[4] When Armenia became independent, Nalbandian was invited to become Armenia's representative in Egypt. Thus, in 1992 Edward Nalbandian joined the diplomatic service of newly independent Armenia as Chargé d'Affaires and later in 1994 as Ambassador of Armenia to Egypt. From Cairo he was also accredited as Armenia's Ambassador to Morocco and Oman.[citation needed] By October 1992, Nalbandian had established an embassy in Cairo–one of the first embassies Armenia opened.
In 1999 Nalbandian was appointed as Ambassador to France, where he served for almost a decade. This period marked the flourishing of Armenian-French interstate relations, marked notably by the state visits of the Presidents and the Year of Armenia in France.[5] Edward Nalbandian also served as non-resident Ambassador to Israel, the Vatican and Andorra,[6] and he was personal representative of the President of Armenia to the International organization of La Francophonie from 2006–2008.[7] Edward Nalbandian represented Armenia in several dozens of international conferences and summits.[8]
After Serzh Sargsyan took office as president, he appointed Nalbandian as Foreign Minister from April 14, 2008, till May 2018.[9][10]
2015 – 1st degree medal “For Services Contributed to the Motherland”, Armenia
2016 – Gold Medal of the Human Rights League of Spain
2016 – "Order of Friendship" of the Russian Federation
2016 – Order Pro Merito Melitensi, The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta[16]
2016 – Honorary Professor of Yerevan State University.[17]
2017 – Russian Order of Friendship awarded by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, for his great contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation with Russia.[18]
