Hundreds of people came to the National Library of Canada on 19 September to hear Ambassador Leonidas T. Chrysanthopoulos present his memoir Caucasus Chronicles: Nation-Building and Diplomacy in Armenia, 1993–1994, published by the Gomidas Institute. The reading was part of the Ottawa International Writers’ Festival and was widely publicized by the Ottawa press.

Sean Wilson, the festival’s artistic director, introduced the speaker, a career diplomat who was the ambassador of Greece to Armenia in 1993–94 and is currently his country’s ambassador to Canada. Then Ara Papian, the Armenian ambassador, briefly took the podium.

“The period of time covered by Ambassador Chrysanthopoulos in his book was perhaps the most decisive in Armenia’s modern history,” Ambassador Papian said. “And the author managed to capture and relate to us its magnitude.” Ambassador Papian noted that he had read the book “with great interest and fascination.”

His Excellency Ara Papian, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia in Ottawa, at the National Library of Canada, introducing his Greek colleague, whose book he had read "with great interest and fascination."

The audience included the ambassadors of Turkey, Iran, and several other countries, members of Parliament, and numerous Armenians and Greeks. The author began his presentation by addressing his fellow diplomats, many of whom complain about being posted in Ottawa, with its frigid winters. Ottawa is a tropical paradise compared to Armenia as it was in 1993–94.

Ambassador Chrysanthopoulos recalled that in 1993–94, in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States, Russia, and the European Union were engaged in a power struggle for influence in the Caucasus. The ambassador, who represented the Presidency of the European Union throughout his tenure in Yerevan, said that the European Union missed opportunities to help Armenia and increase its influence; it should, for example, have helped Armenia restart its nuclear power plant at Metzamor, rather than leaving that to Russia. Likewise, when Armenia, excluded from Russia’s ruble zone, had to issue its own national currency in 1993, Europe missed an opportunity to back the currency.

His Excellency Leonidas Chrysanthopoulos, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic in Ottawa, reading from his book, Caucasus Chronicles: Nation-Building and Diplomacy in Armenia, 1993–1994. The audience included diplomats, members of Parliament, Armenians, and Greeks.

After his introductory comments, the author read some passages from his book. One passage described his visit, Geiger counter in hand, to a store in Yerevan that sold cheese. Rumor had it that much of the cheese sold in Armenia came from Ukraine and was radioactive; the ambassador was going to check the cheese before buying any. He found that most of the cheese on offer was indeed radioactive. The horrified proprietress of the shop snapped, “a little radiation is good for the health because it kills microbes.” Nevertheless, the ambassador limited his purchase to cheese of Dutch origin.

The concluding passage was an appreciation of Armenia’s artists. After the reading, a wine-and-cheese reception was held, during which the author signed copies of his book.

Ambassador Chrysanthopoulos is scheduled to present his book at York University in Toronto (Thursday, 26 September, 4:30 p.m. in Vari Hall C), at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in the Boston area (Wednesday, 9 October), at the Harriman Institute at Columbia University (10 October), at the Armenian embassy in Washington (11 October), at the University of Montreal (17 October), and at several West Coast venues in mid-November. More information is available at http://www.gomidas.org/events.

Books  |  Armenian Forum   |  Events  |  About  |   Updates

© 2002 The Gomidas Institute. All rights reserved.
Last modified on 13 November 2007.