Violation of the Law on Diplomatic Service

On June 1, through a decree, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian, at the suggestion of the Prime Minister, appointed his former spokesman Vladimir Karapetyan as Armenia's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine. The diplomatic corps was taken aback upon familiarizing themselves with the text of the decree, as it explicitly noted: “To appoint the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Ukraine for a term of three years (location: Kyiv).”

Never before has the term been specified in the decrees for appointments to high diplomatic posts—ambassadors and envoys. Even in this year's decrees, such as the January 27 appointment of Armella Shakaryan to Mexico, February 16 for Grant Poghosyan to Japan and Korea, and the March 18 appointment of Armen Martirosyan to Lithuania, there has been no mention of terms.

In an interview, former Ambassador of Armenia to Canada Ara Papyan stated that the Law on Diplomatic Service provides for a “2 years + 1 year” rotation for diplomats who have served, yet terms have never been included in the decrees, as there have been instances where an ambassador served only for months, while others have served for ten years or more. He described this as a political appointment and “yet another voluntary approach.”