UNDIPLOMATIC TIMES
Russian Tycoon Abramian Pushes Dialogue of Civilizations as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
By Mehri Madarshahi
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In July 2003, UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura, seeking to engage the initiative and drive of the private sector to the Dialogue among Civilizations, designated Ara Abramian, one of Russia’s new generation of multimillionaire businessmen as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Of Armenian origin, born into a well-to-do family in the small village of Malishka (literally, “my little darling”), Mr. Abramian brings a unique mix of experiences and skills to his new role.
Growing up in a home with five siblings and with both parents busy medical doctors, he learned early to compete and work hard to achieve success. With a degree from the Yerevan agricultural institute, he went to work as an engineer at the Neyron enterprise of the USSR Ministry of Electronic Industry and rose to become its Director-General. In 1994, he became the founding president of the Concord corporation, a post he continues to hold. Concord is now a conglomerate with interests in diamonds, construction, air transport, electronics, chemicals and publishing.
Mr. Abramian maintained an unimpeachable reputation for integrity and professionalism as he rose to prominence, partnering with the most prominent and influential Russian and foreign financial and industrial business groups. He was designated ‘Man of the Year 2001” by the Russian media. With his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr. Abramian has also been chosen to lead national business delegations to the United States, several European ä countries and Argentina.
As founder-President of the Union of Armenians of Russia, Mr. Abramian has been a civic activist of long standing. Recently he was also elected President of the World Congress of Armenians in the Diaspora. He played a leading role in organizing Round Table discussions that brought together the representatives of 154 nationalities within Russia. Those meetings contributed significantly to defusing inter-ethnic tensions that inevitably arise in a country undergoing a massive transition. As a result, President Putin invited him into the Council of Nationalities, an advisory and liaison body.
Mr. Abramian’s interest in and work with UNESCO began long before being appointed Goodwill Ambassador. He will continue to raise support for UNESCO’s constructive programs on education, preservation of culture and promotion of science. He will also seek to promote closer collaboration between the public and private sectors.
He has proposed seven projects to advance the dialogue among civilizations through education and innovative use of technology, including a center for longdistance learning based in Paris. Other projects touch on the human heritage, dialogue and reconciliation, and the training of young journalists. He would not speak about the funding of these initiatives, beyond saying that “money is not a problem.” Efforts to eliminate poverty and illiteracy must be the “first steps” towards peace and prosperity, he says. The new global interdependence “dictates joint efforts and the search for synergies by all concerned to alleviate the pain and suffering of those excluded and left behind.”