Gagik Tsarukian
| Gagik Tsarukyan | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
25 November 1956 Arinj, Armenian SSR, USSR |
| Political party | Prosperous Armenia |
| Spouse(s) | Javahir Tsarukyan |
| Children | 6 |
| Alma mater | Yerevan Institute of Physical Culture |
| Website | Official website |
Gagik Tsarukyan (Armenian: Գագիկ Ծառուկյան) is an Armenian businessman, arm wrestler, and politician. He is seen as the most influential of Armenia's government-connected oligarchs, and a key business partner of former President Robert Kocharyan. owning over a dozen big businesses and living in a large mansion on a hilltop in the village of Arinj, overlooking the northern outskirts of Yerevan. Tsarukyan is the founder and former leader of the Prosperous Armenia political party, with it gaining 14.7% of the vote in an election. Gagik is also the president of Armenia's National Olympic Committee. (was reelected on December 4, 2008).
Tsarukyan studied at Arinj village school. He met his future wife Javahir Tsarukyan in Arinj school, who was also studying at that same school. Tsarukyan was distinguished with physical abilities which influenced his higher education choices.
Tsarukyan graduated from Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture in 1989. He was involved in sports, mainly boxing, wrestling and arm wrestling. Gagik Tsarukyan is a world champion in arm-wrestling, winning a world championship in 1996 and the European championship in 1998.
Since 1989 Tsarukyan has been engaged in entrepreneurship. In 1995 he founded and presided Multi Group" Concern group of companies which now includes more than 30 enterprises: "Kotayk" beer factory in Abovyan, Yerevan Chemical Pharmaceutical Company, "Mek" Network of Furniture Stores, Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory, etc. Tsarukyan is accused of depriving ownership rights of foreign investors in Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory.
Since 2003, Tsarukyan has been a RA National Assembly deputy. On May 25, 2003 he was elected as a deputy in the National Assembly of Armenia from District 42 after running unopposed, later becoming a member of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs; he was not a member of a parliamentary faction during this term. In late 2005 he founded the Prosperous Armenia Party. During the first congress of Prosperous Armenia Party, on April 30, 2004, Tsarukyan was elected as its president. During the fourth congress of the party, on February 12, 2009, Tsarukyan was re-elected as the party president. He was re-elected to the National Assembly in the May 2007 parliamentary election from District 28 as a Prosperous Armenia candidate. Following this election he became head of the Prosperous Armenia parliamentary faction and a member of the Committee on the Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs in June 2007.
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