Armenia’s MFA should be granted additional functions to work more effectively – expert

Expert on international affairs Suren Sargsyan referred in a Facebook post to functions necessary for the MFA to work more effectively.

“If you want our MFA work more effectively, we must grant it the following functions:

1. Our MFA must be the curator of Armenia’s foreign policy not only in diplomacy but the whole foreign policy. Parliamentary, church, military diplomacy must be curated by it. It is a mandatory precondition.

2. Neither of deputies shpuld deliver any speech in international platforms with a text not agreed with the MFA, no head of department must discuss any issue with counterparts in Brussels or Moscow without general guidelines from the MFA.

3. The MFA must “make” the PM work. It must always tell him to speak with this person, not to speak with this one, say this, do not say this. Not all PMs understand foreign policy and it is a fact. This is why he should always be directed and his foreign policy work coordinated.

4. Foreign minister must be one of the influential people in the country. Authority, preferably not staff diplomat – political heavyweight.

5. The MFA should have its representative in all agencies to coordinate the foreign ties sector.

6. Only the best ones should be appointed as ambassadors – irrespective of being diplomats.

7. Experts on countries and NSS must work with diplomats before their departure.

8. No one has as commonalities as the NSS and the MFA. Their integrated cooperation has no alternative. This list in reality is big and continuous,” the expert wrote.