Abramyan: Citizen Diplomat Advocates for Detainees, Dispute Resolution and Human Rights

Ara Abramyan

Tireless intermediary in the Capital calls US leaders’ attention to conditions in Armenia – Azerbaijan region

WASHINGTON DC, DC, UNITED STATES, December 31, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- No stranger to conflict resolution, the power of personal engagement or direct intermediation, entrepreneur and citizen diplomat Ara Abramyan was again in Washington in December to advocate face to face with leaders and call their attention to, and spur action in, the many cases in which individuals are detained as a result of hostilities across the globe.

Abramyan has proved to be a convincing voice as an experienced protagonist in the face of seemingly intractable intergovernmental conflicts and even hostile heads of groups who have held captives in their efforts to secure control of many of the world’s countries and many of its prized assets.
His political savvy and diplomatic acumen have been evidenced repeatedly, as in his intercession with Russian leaders for the release of Brittney Griner as well as in other high-profile cases there and elsewhere calling for exceptional tact, driven motivation and a full command of the protocols outside the practiced, anticipated framework of regular political discourse.

Upon receiving the Global Reach Foundation’s Heart in Hand Award in late October in Washington, DC for his dedication to the principles of the organization’s founders, Mr. Abramyan made known his deep concern for the inertia and even indifference toward “forgotten men, women and children held against their will in regions of conflict” and called upon political, religious and intellectual leaders to become more involved to see them returned to their families. Global Reach, animated by the late Governor Bill Richardson, former US Cabinet member and Ambassador to the UN whose international work dedicated itself to human dignity in its many forms, including hostage releases in even the most hostile of environments, presented the award to Abramyan, signifying his high degree of personal commitment and long-standing relationship with the Foundation.

At the awards dinner held in his favor before returning quickly to his packed schedule of meetings, interviews and top-level conferences, Abramyan made no boasts nor did he appear to be resting on his laurels as a less determined recipient of the French Legion of Honor might be tempted to do. Instead, his abiding advocacies on behalf of detainees and on behalf of Armenia, a nation in difficult straits economically and politically. As Armenia faces threats in its region – notably as a result of what he sees as a soft relationship between the current administration in Armenia and that of Azerbaijan –which has disadvantaged the former– Abramyan has continued to speak out and has gotten a hearing in the halls of US power and influence.

Armenia today, he volunteers, sits at a critical junction: the ancient country and its people face ponderous difficulties brought about by Azerbaijani aggression. He spent his time in the US harnessing the strength of Armenia’s substantial US demographic in addition to government and private officials and with media representatives, but most important, with leaders of the 3.1 million Armenians residing permanently in the United States. The historic Armenian diaspora finds California home to 250,000 Armenians with large concentrations in New England and the Middle Atlantic States, Illinois and other states. As a group, Armenians are religion and family-centered, tending toward more conservative values; most are deeply tied to their homeland. Importantly, the Armenian diaspora has resulted in strong economic support for the Fatherland, as non-resident citizens and “expats” send money back home and use their influence as a group to affect political outcomes in Armenia. However, events such as the war in Ukraine have diminished substantially these patriotic contributions from Armenians in that war-torn country, he points out.

Mr. Abramyan noted that, even as President Trump has brokered peace talks, Armenia has suffered at the hands of its neighbor to the east, holding many Armenian hostages, occupying several Armenian districts and absorbing economic resources: “Many of us are concerned about Armenia’s leadership, which appears to be collaborating –passively and directly– with the authorities in Azerbaijan. This creates opposition within the country, but it should never be so, since all Armenian citizens favor the country first. Regardless of the comfort of its Prime Minister and his allies provided by Baku, seeing the way Azerbaijan exerts influence causes us to want to marshal world opinion in favor of Armenia– especially among the millions of Armenians in Russia, the United States and elsewhere in the world. Armenia has a reduced military, a concessionary leadership and a critical drain of talent underway. It must be stopped,” he urged.

Asked about the presence and influence of President Trump and his team, he stated: “We admire and respect the fact that Donald Trump wants to make America great again, and we want to make Armenia great again –maybe substitute the A in MAGA for Armenia– and we look to him to weigh in on the balance of power in this region. We believe that Putin and Trump have differences, but they have mutual respect and some good can come from that, especially when it comes to protecting a country such as Armenia and facilitating compassionate human values in releasing detainees. We have dealt with them in critical negotiations– I remember meeting with officials in Russia and finding them to be essentially very decent men with self-interest at stake and with an understanding of detainees’ circumstances and the implications to them and to their families. While not always compatible with ours– yet we were able to make it through using common sense and, ultimately, through the bond of passion for fellow human beings. Only rarely can it be said that the people you meet in diplomatic circles are purely irrational and don’t respect humanity. In such cases outside influence is often required together with almost paralyzing patience.”

Stephen H Acunto
CINN Global Initiatives
+1 914-772-4797
email us here

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.