Lilit Makunts Appointed Armenia’s New Ambassador to U.S.

YEREVAN — Armenian President Armen Sarkissian signed a decree on Monday appointing Lilit Makunts as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America.

Makunts was the head of the ruling My Step faction in the previous Armenian parliament. She is replacing Varuzhan Nersisyan, who was relieved of his post on July 16 and appointed as Armenia’s ambassador to Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Makunts, 37, taught English at Russian-Armenian University in Yerevan before being appointed as Armenia’s culture minister in the wake of the 2018 “velvet revolution” that brought Nikol Pashinyan to power.

She held that post until being elected to the Armenian parliament in December 2018 and becoming the leader of the parliamentary group of ruling My Step bloc.