LÄNDERFOKUS ARMENIEN INTERVIEW Strong Ties Gerti Tauchhammer met with H.E. Dr. Arman Kirakossian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Austria and spoke with him about the close relations between our two countries and the velvet revolution in Armenia. Fotos: society/salas-torrero 64 | <strong>SOCIETY</strong> 2_<strong>2018</strong>
LÄNDERFOKUS ARMENIEN INTERVIEW You have been posted as Ambassador to Austria since 2011 – How would you say are the relations between Austria and Armenia in general? Yes, it’s been already 7 years of my mission as Armenian Ambassador to Austria that I combine with my duties of Permanent Representative of my Government to the OSCE, UN office in Vienna and to other international organizations. Armenia regained its independence in 1991 and Austria was among the first countries that established diplomatic relations with us. It was in 1992, when I was First Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, working closely with all friendly countries, such as Austria. In early 90s I traveled to Vienna many times. Since that time, and later on, when I assumed my duties as Armenian Ambassador to Austria, I felt and keep feeling a warm attitude from Austrian authorities and Austrian citizens. I feel myself home, and I’m confident, every Armenian shares this feeling. Austria was among the nations that reacted immediately to the devastating Spitak Earthquake in 1988. The Austrian government provided the rescue service, humanitarian aid and engaged in aftershock rehabilitation. In Gyumri, the second city of Armenia, that was seriously affected by the earthquake, Austrians rebuilt a children’s hospital, that was later, as a sign of appreciation, renamed to “Austrian Children’s hospital of Gyumri”. Since the very beginning of independence, Austria has been an important contributor to the development of the Republic of Armenia. It’s been already a quarter of a century as Austrian government persistently implements various projects aimed with the development of a strong Armenian state economy. I would especially like to emphasize the recent projects of the Austrian Development Agency in the Armenian agriculture sector, focusing mainly on helping Armenian farmers produce organic food. Politically, our relations are on the highest level: our supreme authorities regularly exchange visits, meet on various occasions in different international fora, hold political dialogue, consultations. Each second year, we pursue the sessions of the Armenian-Austrian joint commission of Science and Economy. The next is scheduled to take place in Yerevan, in the first part of the year 2019. We are bound by a series of important interstate agreements in almost all fields. There is the Austria-Armenia parliamentary group, headed by Mrs. Gudrun Kugler, that functions successfully in the Austrian Federal Parliament, and another parliamentary group – in the Armenian Parliament respectively. Our deputies, governmental agents and representatives of nongovernmental organizations cooperate successfully in pursuing common goals, often share visions and approaches on various issues. »One of the foreign policy priorities of Armenia is to form closer relations with the European Union (…) « Arman Kirakossian CURRICULUM VITAE H.E. Arman J. Kirakossian was born on September 10, 1956 in Yerevan, Armenia. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Geography in 1977 and a Master’s degree in History of the Armenian Question and International Diplomacy in 1980. In 1999, he earned the degree of Doctor of Sciences in History (Dr. Habil.) from the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. From 1991 to 1994, he held the post of First Deputy Foreign Minister, and, from 1992 to 1993, served as Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. From 1994 to 1999 Arman J. Kirakossian was Armenia’s Ambassador to Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He was Ambassador to the United States from 1999 to 2005. He was also Permanent Observer of the Republic of Armenia to the Organization of American States from 2001. In 2005, he was appointed as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. Since 2011, Arman J. Kirakossian serves as Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Austria, Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and International Organizations in Vienna. How many Armenian citizens live in Austria? Does the Embassy collaborate with them? Do you organize special events with participation of the Austrian Armenians? Armenians have been living in Austria since the middle ages, but history preserves first records of the Armenian presence in relation with the renowned Viennese coffee tradition, first introduced in the Habsburg Empire by Johannes Diodato (Hovhannes Astvatsaturian, 1640-1725), as well as with activities of the Armenian Mechitarists Congregation, that was allowed to move and to settle in Vienna in 1810, upon the decree of Empress Maria Theresia, who permitted them to establish their monastery and church as well as to run their own printing house. I have come to say that Armenians have always been warmly accepted by Austrians, regardless the reason that brought them to your beautiful country: those who survived the 1915 Genocide in Ottoman Turkey, who migrated here from Iran, Turkey or Syria, or those who were forced to move because of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in 1990s or later, have received equal generous reception and feasible aid from the people of Austria. They integrated easily into the Austrian society without giving up their Armenian language, culture, religious traditions etc. The Armenian Apostolic St. Hripsime Church, located in the Vienna 3rd district, has been operating since 1964. Austrian-Armenians have their own Saturday school, sports club, various cultural and educational organizations. The community of the Armenian Apostolic Church is officially recognized by the Austrian government as a religious community. Nowadays, the number of Armenians in Austria counts around 6000 people, while the majority lives in Vienna. They run their businesses, work in hospitals, universities, governmental and non-governmental institutions and centers and are involved in Austrian social and cultural life. A significant number of Armenians work in international organizations of Vienna. Since the opening of the Armenian Embassy in Vienna in 1993, the Armenian community has cooperated closely with our diplomatic mission. We work together in many cultural, scientific and educational initiatives, aiming at showing the Armenian cultural heritage to the Austrian auditory and vice versa. The Embassy does its utmost to bring together Armenian and Austrian communities and to strengthen the economic and trade ties. This, we owe to the knowledge and expertise of the Austrian-Armenians who facilitate contacts, initiate joint projects etc. The Embassy and the Armenian community regularly hold consultative meetings, the Armenian organizations of Austria have always been using the Embassy’s facilities for cultural and educational gatherings. The Embassy always invites Austrian-Armenians, their spiritual and secular leaders, representatives of various Armenian organizations at all special occasions related to ➢ <strong>SOCIETY</strong> 2_<strong>2018</strong> | 65
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