Britain Withdraws Appointment of Ambassador to Yerevan

The British Embassy in Yerevan announced that the United Kingdom had reversed its appointment of Alan Gognashian as its ambassador to Armenia, citing “operational reasons.”

Gogbashian was appointed in August and was scheduled to assume the ambassadorship in September. He would have become the first ambassador of Armenian origin representing another country in Yerevan.

“Mr. Alan Gogbashian will no longer be taking up the role of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Yerevan for operational reasons,” said a statement posted on the U.K. Armenian Embassy Facebook page on Monday. “Mr. Gogbashian will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr. David Moran has been appointed as Chargé d’Affaires with the rank of Ambassador in the interim, until a new Ambassador is appointed.”

No further explanation was provided by the U.K. Embassy.

Moran is head of Global Economic Issues Department in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. He joined the FCO in 1985 and has previously served as Ambassador to Switzerland, Kazakhstan (2009 to 2012), Uzbekistan (2005 to 2007), and as Ambassador (non-resident) Liechtenstein and the Kyrgyz Republic. David also served in Nairobi, Moscow, Paris and Tbilisi, and in a range of policy and other roles in London. From 2008 to 2009 he was Deputy Director for Early Warning and Transnational Issues in the Cabinet Office.