Vartan Oskanian honored with Dean's Medal of Tufts University Fletcher School

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian addressed a gathering of students and faculty at the Tufts University Fletcher School in Medford, Massachusetts on October 5. 



Prior to delivering his address, the Minister was awarded the Dean's Medal by Fletcher Dean Steven Bosworth, a former U.S. ambassador. The Minister, a graduate of the Fletcher School, is the most recent recipient of the medal, awarded to distinguished Fletcher alumni including Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia Hassan Wirajuda, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Former UN Undersecretary Shashi Tharoor, Liu Xiaoming, Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK. 



The Minister expressed his appreciation for the special award, and continued by thanking the Fletcher School administration for the continuing special relationship between the Fletcher School and Armenia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Fletcher School, in partnership with Armenia's Foreign Ministry, has accepted five groups of 15 diplomats and civil servants for special certificate programs since 1999. In addition to diplomats from the foreign ministry, civil servants from the ministries of finance, trade, justice, health, the president's office, the prosecutor general's office and other agencies have benefited from the program. The program is supported entirely by the Tavitian Foundation, founded by philanthropist-businessman Aso Tavitian, to develop capacity within Armenia's government, by enabling and encouraging continuing education for mid-career professionals. The program is designed under the guidance of Dr. Joyce Barsam, a member of the Tufts University Board of Trustees, and also a member of the Tavitian Foundation.  



Following the award ceremony, Minister Oskanian spoke about the "Diplomacy of Small Countries." He referred to the various global and regional challenges which adversely affect smaller countries, and spoke about the specific strategic choices made by Armenia since independence. He spoke about the region, Armenia's relations with all its neighbors, and about the challenges facing Armenia's foreign policy. 



A question-answer session followed in which Fletcher School's many international students, as well as faculty, participated, the RA MFA press office reported.