Born on June 22, 1957 in the city of Stepanakert 

1974 – Finished the secondary school No8 of Stepanakert

1979 – Graduated from the Russian language and literature faculty of the Yerevan State University

1980  – “Soviet Karabakh” newspaper correspondent and since 1981 – deputy editor-in-chief  

December 28, 1991 - Elected deputy from the Stepanakert electoral district No2 of the first convocation of the NKR Supreme Council

September 1992    - Adviser to the chairman of the NKR State Defense Committee on political issues. Head of the NKR delegation at the talks on the Karabakh – Azerbaijan conflict settlement under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group

July 1993 – Head of the newly created Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Since 1993 –Member of the NKR Security Council  

September 1997 – President of the Republic of Artsakh elected at the NKR extraordinary presidential elections

August 11, 2002 – Re-elected President of the Republic

March 16, 2009 - Appointed special envoy of the president of Armenia

2003 - Awarded the title of Honorary Doctor of Artsakh State University

Honorary Member of a number of international academies, in particular the Academy for Security, Defense and Law, Academy of Sciences of International Relations, Academy of Nature and Society, National Academy of Science Problems and Academy of the Spiritual Unity of Peoples

Married, has two children