Gagik Tsarukyan

Gagik Tsarukyan (Armenian: Գագիկ Ծառուկյան ) is a former athlete and politician. Also he was elected as a delegate in 2018. He is seen as the most influential of Armenia's government-connected oligarchs, and a key business partner of former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan. Tsarukyan is the founder and former leader of the Prosperous Armenia political party, with it gaining 15.1% of the vote in the 2007 Armenian parliamentary election. In the ensuing 2012 Armenian parliamentary election, his party increased its share to 19.1% of the popular vote. Announcing his departure from politics for a hiatus in February 2015, he announced his return to politics in January 2017, forming the parliamentary Tsarukyan Alliance, an electoral Alliance made up of Prosperous Armenia, the Alliance party and the Mission party. During the 2017 Armenian parliamentary election, the Tsarukyan Alliance obtained 27.35% of the popular vote, becoming the second biggest parliamentary bloc in the Armenian Parliament with 31 MPs in the 105-member house of representatives, after the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (with 49.17% of the popular vote and 58 MPs). Year latter during the 2018 Armenian parliamentary election, the Prosperous Armenia obtained 8.26% of the popular vote coming again second.

Despite maintaining an extravagant lifestyle, Tsarukyan's companies post only modest revenues. His Ararat Cement factory —officially the most profitable of his businesses— occupies only the 45th place in the Armenian Statistical Service's annual ranking of tax payers, with tax contributions totaling 1.3 billion drams in 2007 (about US$3.8 million in 2007). In contrast, another smaller Ararat-based plant (which smelts gold ore) paid more taxes despite standing idle during much of 2007 due to a change of ownership.

On May 11, 2009 Tsarukyan was awarded with "European of the Year" by the International European movement.

On September 12, 2009 European Judo Federation honored NOCA president Gagik Tsarukyan with gold medal.

An avid sportsman, he practiced boxing, wrestling and arm wrestling, becoming world champion in arm-wrestling in 1996 and winning the European championship in 1998. Tsarukyan is also the president of Armenia's National Olympic Committee. (was reelected on December 4, 2008).

On December 4, 2008 Gagik Tsarukyan was unanimously reelected as the Armenian Olympic Committee president by the general assembly of the committee.

On September 17, 2008 upon RA president Serzh Sargsyan decree, Tsarukyan was honored with "Services provided to the motherland" first rank medal for the great input he had in the development of RA sports and physical education.

Tsarukyan established Prosperous Armenia Party in 2004. That same year, during the party's first congress which took place on 30 April, Gagik Tsarukyan was elected as the president of the Party. As a result of the National Assembly elections of 12 May 2007, Prosperous Armenia Party received 204 443 votes receiving 25 mandates in NA. During the fourth congress of Prosperous Armenia Party which took place on February 12, 2009, Tsarukyan was reelected as its president. As a result of Prosperous Armenia Party fourth congress 93 member PAP political council was elected. Gagik Tsarukyan is the chairman of newly elected PAP Political council.

Tsarukyan is the current president of the Armenian Olympic Committee, since 2005. Armenian athletes under the leadership of Gagik Tsarukyan showed an unprecedented result during 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, returning with 6 bronze medals.

Despite being lucrative, the vast majority of Tsarukyan's Multi Group businesses were not included in the list of the country's leading corporate taxpayers released by the Armenian government in early 2005.

Since 2003, Tsarukyan has been a RA National Assembly deputy. On May 25, 2003 he was elected as a deputy in the National Assembly of Armenia from District 42 after running unopposed, later becoming a member of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs; he was not a member of a parliamentary faction during this term. In late 2005 he founded the Prosperous Armenia Party. During the first congress of Prosperous Armenia Party, on April 30, 2004, Tsarukyan was elected as its president. During the fourth congress of the party, on February 12, 2009, Tsarukyan was re-elected as the party president. He was re-elected to the National Assembly in the May 2007 parliamentary election from District 28 as a Prosperous Armenia candidate. Following this election he became head of the Prosperous Armenia parliamentary faction and a member of the Committee on the Protection of Human Rights and Public Affairs in June 2007.

Gagik Tsarukyan has been engaged in politics since 2000-s. Three years later during third convocation of National Assembly elections which took place on May 25, 2003 Gagik Tsarukyan was elected as NA deputy from 42 electoral district. During NA third convocation years Gagik Tsarukyan acted as independent deputy, was not represented in any faction or any deputy group. From 2003 till 2007 Gagik Tsarukyan was the member of RA NA Defense, National security and Interior affairs standing committee.

In 2003 upon the decree determined by the president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan the president of Armenian National Olympic Committee Gagik Tsarukyan, who had his great input in the development of RA sports, was honored with Movses Khorenatsi medal.

In 2002, the Yerevan Ararat Brandy Factory was acquired by the Multi Group Concern, which invested around US$50 million-equivalent Armenian drams for the modernization and constructional works, in obtainment of new line of bottling and oak barrels.

In 2002 Tsarukyan was awarded with St. Grigor Lousavorich order by the Supreme Patriarch of all Armenians Garegin II highly evaluating Mr. Tsarukyan's activity towards church construction.

Multi Group are also the owners of the Gorna Bania Water Bottling Company Ltd. based in Sofia, Bulgaria, founded in 1997.

Tsarukyn's Multi Group Concern holding company founded in 1995, currently includes more than 40 large and small businesses. In March 2006, Tsarukyan sold his 29% share in the Kotayk Brewery to French beer magnate Castel Group for about US$4 million. In 2011, Tsarukyan acquired the Kotayk Brewery to become the sole owner of the factory.

Tsarukian owns several businesses and rose to prominence in the late 1990s as a minority shareholder in a French-owned brewery in Abovyan. His business holdings have since expanded, aided by his close ties with then President Robert Kocharian.

Tsarukyan graduated from Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture in 1989. He was involved in sports, mainly boxing, wrestling and arm wrestling. Gagik Tsarukyan is a world champion in arm-wrestling, winning a world championship in 1996 and the European championship in 1998.

Since 1989 Tsarukyan has been engaged in entrepreneurship. In 1997 he founded and presided Multi Group Concern group of companies which now includes more than 30 enterprises: Kotayk Brewery in Abovyan, Yerevan Chemical Pharmaceutical Company, "Mek" Network of Furniture Stores, Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory, etc. Tsarukyan is accused of depriving ownership rights of foreign investors in Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory.

Tsarukyan took part in sports since his school years. He went for boxing, wrestling and arm wrestling. Tsarukyan was graduated from the Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture in 1989, as a teacher of physical education and sports as well as a wrestling coach. Tsarukyan had achievements in sports, in 1996 he became world champion in arm-wrestling, and in 1998 he achieved the title of the champion of Europe.

Gagik Tsarukyan started his business activities in the 1980s. During 1990-1992 he was the executive director of "Armenia" company and in 1992 he was involved in animal husbandry activities, establishing a dairy production enterprise in Arinj village near Abovyan. In 1995, Gagik founded and presided over Multi Group Concern, which now includes Kotayk Brewery in Abovyan, Yerevan Chemical Pharmaceutical Company, "Mek" Network of Furniture Stores, Yerevan Ararat Brandy-Wine-Vodka Factory, "Ararat" cement Factory, "Aviaservice" JSC, "Multi Stone" stone Processing Company, "Multi Rest House" Company, "Global Motors" CJSC, "Multi City House" Company and other companies and organizations.