Robert Kocharian

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Robert Sedraki Kocharian Ռոբերտ Սեդրակի Քոչարյան
Image:Kocharian.jpg <small/>
2nd President of the Republic of Armenia
Incumbent
Assumed office February 4, 1998
Preceded by	Levon Ter-Petrossian

Born	August 31, 1954 Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, Soviet Union
Spouse	Bella Kocharian

Robert Sedraki Kocharian (Armenian: Ռոբերտ Սեդրակի Քոչարյան) (born August 31, 1954) is the second president of the third republic of Armenia.

1 Personal details
2 Early career
3 Presidency
4 External links

[edit] Personal details

Kocharian, who speaks fluent Russian and English was born in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh, at that time the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast under the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. He received his secondary education there and from 1972 to 1974 served in the Soviet Red Army. He and his wife, Bella Kocharian, have three children: Sedrak, Gayane, and Levon, each of whom was born in Stepanakert. His wife, also born in Stepanakert, is a graduate of the Yerevan Medical Institute and each of his children is an alumnus of Yerevan State University. On February 20, 2006, his elder son Sedrak had a daughter, who was named Bella.

[edit] Early career

Kocharian's career began as an engineer at Stepanakert's electro-technical plant in 1971. After starting as a turner, he was later promoted to the post of mechanical engineer. In 1982, he graduated from Yerevan Polytechnic Institute's Electro-Technical Department with honors.

Image:Kocharian-1989.jpg

Kocharian was drawn to politics after joining a movement to cede the land of Nagorno-Karabakh, his birth place, from the Azerbaijan SSR to the Armenian SSR. Throughout the 1980s, he occupied various posts in Nagorno-Karabakh's youth communist and communist organ groups. By February 1988, Kocharian became one of the leaders in the Karabakh movement, as a member of the Krunk organization. After the organization broke apart, he founded the Miatsum (or Unification) organization. His influential political style brought him through the ranks of Soviet politics and by 1989, emerged as a deputy of Armenia's Supreme Soviet. In 1991, Kocharian was elected a deputy of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic's Supreme Soviet of the first convocation.

With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict plunged into all-out war. In August 1992, Kocharian became Chairman of the State Defense Committee and the first Prime Minister of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (or NKR). He was able to mobilize forces and occupy the territory. This made it possible to turn the tide in the war for the Armenians. On May 12, an unofficial cease-fire was proclaimed and by December 10, Nagorno-Karabakh proclaimed itself an independent entity. Kocharian was elected its first President on December 24 by the decision of the NKR Supreme Soviet.

On March 20, 1997, Kocharian left his post as President when he was appointed Prime Minister of Armenia. In February 1998, Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossian was forced to step down after advocating concessions to Azerbaijan in the resolution of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh which many Armenians regarded as humiliating. His key ministers, led by Kocharian, refused to accept a peace plan for Karabakh put forward by international mediators in September 1997. The plan, accepted by Ter-Petrossian and Azerbaijan, called for a "phased" settlement of the conflict which would postpone an agreement on Karabakh's status. That agreement was to accompany the return of most Armenian-controlled Azerbaijani territories around Karabakh and the lifting of the Azerbaijani and Turkish blockades of Armenia. Incidentally the same agreement--which was deemed defeatist at the time--is the basis for the negotiations taking place under Kocharian's leadership today.

After Ter-Petrossian's resignation, Kocharian was elected Armenia's second President on March 30, 1998, defeating his main rival, Karen Demirchian in early presidential marred by irregularities and violations as reported by international electoral observers.

[edit] Presidency

Image:Putin-koch.jpg

As President, Kocharian continued to negotiate a peaceful resolution with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Talks between Aliyev and Kocharian were held in September 2004 in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit. Reportedly, one of the suggestions put forward was the withdrawal of the occupying forces from the Azeri territories adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh, and holding referenda (plebiscites) in Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan proper regarding the future status of the region. On February 10-11, 2006, Kocharian and Aliev met in Rambouillet, France to discuss the fundamental principles of a settlement to the conflict, including the withdrawal of troops, formation of international peace keeping troops, and the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.^iht1

During the weeks and days before the talks in France, OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen expressed cautious optimism that some form of an agreement was possible. French President Jacques Chirac met with both leaders separately and expressed hope that the talks would be fruitful. Contrary to the initial optimism, the Rambouillet talks did not produce any agreement, with key issues such as the status of Nagorno-Karabakh and whether Armenian troops would withdraw from Kalbajar still being contentious. The next session of the talks is scheduled for March in Washington, D.C.. [1] Russian President, Vladimir Putin announced his intention to meet with Kocharian in Moscow to discuss the issue. [2]

In a 2001 interview with the Turkish Daily News, Kocharian expressed hope in the spread of recognition for the Armenian Genocide by other nations in the international community. [3]

On March 5, 2003, Kocharian won re-election for a second term as President. However, his re-election was marred by allegations of electoral fraud against both candidates. In early 2004, there were calls for Kocharian's resignation and opposition-led demonstrators took to the streets in support of demands for a referendum of confidence in him.

[edit] External links

Preceded by: None	Prime Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh 1992–1994	Succeeded by: Anushavan Danielyan
Preceded by: None	President of Nagorno-Karabakh 1994–1997	Succeeded by: Arkady Ghoukasyan
Preceded by: Armen Sarkissian	Prime Minister of Armenia 1997–1998	Succeeded by: Armen Darbinyan
Preceded by: Levon Ter-Petrossian	President of Armenia 1998–	Succeeded by: Incumbent