Samvel Balasanyan

Biography

Samvel Balasanyan was born on October 12, 1954 in Gyumri (Leninakan).

Mr. Balasanyan graduated from the Nalbandyan Leninakan State Pedagogical Institute in 1976 and the Moscow Food Production Institute in 1983. He is a teacher, mathematician and food technologist.

From 1976-1977 he served in the Soviet Army. In 1977 started his career as a worker in the Leninakan Beer Factory and in 1978 was appointed technologist in the Confectionery Factory. From 1992-1999 he served as appointed director of the Beer Factory.

Mr. Balasanyan is married and has three children.

Political activity

1999-2003 was his first term as a deputy in the National Assembly (electoral district # 63) where he served first on the NA Standing Committee on Social, Health Care and Environmental Protection Affairs and later on the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Relations. He was first a member of the Stability Deputy Group and later People's Agricultural and Industrial Union.

From 2003-2007 he was a deputy in the NA (electoral district #49). He was a member of the NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit, Budgetary and Economic Affairs. Head of the Ad-hoc Committee on Determining the Options for the Savings Deposits of Citizens of the Republic of Armenia in “Armsberbank.” He was the head of the Rule of Law Faction.

In 2006 he was awarded the Medal of Honour of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. On May 12, 2007 he was elected to the National Assembly from electoral district #35. He is the Deputy Head of the "Prosperous Armenia" party. On October 7, 2010 he was elected Vice President of the National Assembly.

Since September 9, 2012, having more than 60% of the votes, he was elected as a mayor of the second largest city in Armenia - Gyumri.