YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Armenia’s former minister of trade and industry–Garnik Nanagoulian–has been appointed to the board of directors of Canada’s Intergold–a leading manufacturer of emblematic jewelry for school and sports products–it was announced late last week.
"Mr. Nanagoulian is well known and highly respected in the international diplomatic and business community and the Armenian Diaspora," the company said in a press release posted on the Reuters Business Wire. Nanagoulian served as industry minister from 1996 to 1998–a period which saw a number of big privatization deals involving foreign investors. Among them was the creation in 1998 of a joint venture with First Dynasty Mines–also a Canadian company–to develop three gold mines in Armenia.
Nanagoulian was also one of the founders of the Armenian Jewelers’ Association–which is intended to coordinate the activities of Armenian craftsmen from around the world. The first names of Miran Armutlu–Intergold’s president and Raffi Camci–a top company executive–suggest ethnic Armenian origin but it is not clear if the two mean are somehow related to the Association.
"We believe that Mr. Nanagoulian’s vision and experience will contribute significantly to Intergold at a time when the company is finalizing its ambitious programs to expand and explore new opportunities in the US. He brings a unique perspective to Intergold," the statement quoted Armutlu as saying.
Nanagoulian had made a swift career in the Soviet diplomatic service–becoming second secretary of the Soviet embassy in Washington in the late 1980s. He was appointed independent Armenia’s first ambassador to Canada shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.