YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–Armenian President Robert Kocharian signed a decree on April 15 appointing Armen Smbatian Armenia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation (residence in Moscow).
Armen Smbatian was born in Yerevan in 1954. He graduated from the Yerevan State Conservatory and then completed post-graduate courses at the same Conservatory. He has taught music at music-schools in different regions of the republic. From 1981 he lectured at the Yerevan State Conservatory–and from 1995 occupied the post of the Conservatory’s Rector.
From 1996 to 1998 he was Minister of Culture–Youth Affairs and Sport of the Republic of Armenia.
Since 1997–Smbatian has been the chairman of the Armenian Society of Cultural Ties with Foreign Countries. He speaks Russian and English.