A reception in honor of Arman Kirakossian, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Court of St. James, organized by the Armenian Community Council of the United Kingdom (ACC), took place on March 7, 2019 at the Medical Society of London, Lettsom House.
Over 100 dignitaries representing grassroots organizations and the Armenian Church attended the reception. In his opening speech, Chairman of the ACC Arman Abrahamian welcomed the ambassador and introduced him to the community pledging support and cooperation.
Ambassador Kirakossian in turn thanked the ACC for organizing the reception and for the warm welcome. He said he is committed to developing ties between Armenia and the UK and he looked forward to the support and collaboration of all. He likened Armenia to a building which will grow taller when and if we all add to it brick by brick. He said he welcomes any action that is Armenia-centred (hayasdanagentron) since a strong, secure and prosperous Armenia is the anchor of all the Diaspora.
Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, the Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the UK and Ireland, then took the floor. His message was one of collaboration and cooperation between the Church, the Embassy and the Armenian Community Council; the three, he concluded, are the new trinity which we all cherish.
The speeches were followed by a cocktail reception to provide the Ambassador with an opportunity to meet members of the community.
Ambassador Dr. Arman Kirakossian is a career diplomat and historian. He has represented Armenia in various capitals including Washington, Athens and Vienna, and in various international organisations such as the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Between 1991 and 1994, he served as First Deputy Foreign Minister and from 1992 to 1993 as Acting Foreign Minister. In 2005, he was reappointed Deputy Foreign Minister. He has been accredited at various times to Cyprus, Slovenia, Croatia, Albania and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
