Germany Appoints Honorary Consul in Gyumri

In his remarks, the ambassador said, “In Gyumri, there is already an Honorary Consul from Italy and for a long time there was a necessity that we had our permanent representative in the second largest city of Armenia for the further development of Armenian-German relations.” He also pointed out that the German Foreign Ministry places strong demands on those who are granted a Consulate position, demands that Ter-Minasyan will fulfill with pleasure. Mr. Ter-Minasyan, he said, has contributed to the development of the Armenian-German relations for more than 20 years, has supported the “Berlin” policlinic in Gyumri, and manages the Berlin Art Hotel, promoting and deepening the contacts between Armenian and German artists.

As the position of honorary consul will include the regions of Shirak and Lori, it was most appropriate that the governor of Shirak, Artur Khachatryan, was on hand. In offering his congratulations to the new consul, he said, “We are hopeful that Alexan Ter-Minasyan’s efforts will be directed to strengthening relations, especially with the establishment of new cooperation between Armenian and German businessmen. I assure you that the Shirak regional administration is ready to lend its support and we welcome all the initiatives that will contribute to the development of our country, particularly our region.”

In point of fact, the functions of the newly-appointed Consul will include economic ties, development and cultural programs, as well as advisory services.

Creative Diplomacy

The German Foreign Ministry could not have made a better choice. Alexan Ter-Minasyan is a most creative diplomat, a man who excels in the art of contacts. Already in 2014, then-President Joachim Gauck had decided to honor him with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his extraordinary efforts in developing German-Armenian relations. As was noted on the occasion of his receiving the award, on May 15, 2014, these efforts began following the tragic earthquake that destroyed large parts of the region in 1988. It was in that situation that the German Red Cross as well as Caritas arrived in Gyumri, and Ter-Minasyan was the key person in facilitating and supporting their work. He functioned as representative of the Red Cross in Gyumri, which set up a Center for Mothers and Children, and he handled the donations coming from Germany, with scrupulous honesty and efficiency. When the financial support from contributions no longer sufficed to run the center, Ter-Minasyan came up with the idea of converting part of the building into a hotel, and thus generated income to support the center. The hotel continues its support to the “Berlin” policlinic to the present day.