Varsen Aghabekian

Aghabekian was born in Jordan in 1958.{{cite news |title=Palestinian Armenian Varsen Aghabekian Appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affair in New Government |url=https://massispost.com/2024/03/palestinian-armenian-varsen-aghabekian-appointed-minister-of-state-for-foreign-affair-in-new-government/ |access-date=4 March 2025 |work=Massis Post |date=29 March 2024}} She pursued her higher education in the United States, receiving a master's degree in nursing administration from Indiana University–Purdue University in 1983 and a doctorate in educational policy and management studies from the University of Pittsburgh in 1988.{{cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=https://www.diyar.ps/en/team/board-of-directors |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214213855/https://www.diyar.ps/en/team/board-of-directors |archive-date=2018-12-14 |access-date=4 March 2025 |website=Diyar Consortium}}{{cite news |last=Kuttab |first=Daoud |title=Varsen Aghabekian the first Armenian in a Palestinian government |url=https://milhilard.org/varsen-agabkian-the-first-armenian-in-a-palestinian-government/ |access-date=5 March 2025 |work=Milhilard |date=29 March 2024}}{{cite web |title=Varsen Aghabekian (Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates) |url=https://ecfr.eu/special/mapping_palestinian_politics/varsen-aghabekian/ |website=Mapping Palestinian Politics |publisher=European Council on Foreign Relations |access-date=5 March 2025 |date=29 March 2024}}

From 1988 to 2008, Aghabekian was a professor at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem. She was initially an associate professor before holding a number of administrative positions, including dean of the faculty of health professions from 1995 to 1998 and dean of graduate studies from 1998 to 2000.

She has held key positions in a number of political and social projects as well. She served as the coordinator of the human resources development unit of the Palestine Medical Council, director of the institutional building project at the office of the Palestinian president, executive director of the 2009 rendition of the Arab Capital of Culture programme, and commissioner-general of the Independent Commission for Human Rights (2016–2018). Additionally, she is a board member of the Diyar Consortium, a Palestinian organization focusing on cultural and educational development.

An Armenian Christian, Aghabekian is a founding member of the presidential commission for the restoration of the Church of the Nativity, as well as the presidential commission for church affairs. She is an advocate of Christian and women's rights in Palestine.

The Palestinian Authority appointed Aghabekian as its minister of state for foreign affairs and expatriates on 29 March 2024.{{cite news |title=President Abbas approves lineup of new government chaired by Mohammad Mustafa |url=https://english.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/142819 |access-date=5 March 2025 |work=Wafa |date=28 March 2024}} It marked the first time an Armenian had been appointed a minister in the government. She was sworn into office two days later on 31 March.

A few weeks before the 2024 US presidential election, Aghabekian expressed hope that the elected candidate would support a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and pursue a neutral but proactive role in the Middle East.{{cite news |last=Kampmann |first=David |date=9 October 2024 |title=Palestinian minister urges US to take unbiased role in ending Israel-Gaza war |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2024/10/09/palestinian-minister-urges-us-to-take-unbiased-role-in-ending-israel-gaza-war- |access-date=5 March 2025 |work=Al Arabiya |language=en}} After being reelected US president, Donald Trump outlined a plan for the US to occupy the Gaza Strip. In response, Aghabekian reiterated the Palestinian Authority's de jure authority over the Gaza Strip, rejected the plan as "unacceptable", and called on other Western countries to do the same.{{cite news |title=PLO is the 'only legitimate representative' of Palestinians, minister tells UN Security Council |url=https://www.arabnews.jp/en/middle-east/article_139542/ |access-date=5 March 2025 |work=Arab News |date=21 January 2025 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Ferguson |first1=Sarah |title='Doesn't include me': The Palestinian problem with Trump's Gaza proposal |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-06/palestinian-authority-rejects-trump-gaza-plan-asks-australia-to/104906128 |access-date=5 March 2025 |work=ABC News |date=6 February 2025 |language=en-AU}}{{cite news |last1=Adeyiga |first1=Abisoye |date=1 March 2025 |title=Trump's Gaza 'Riviera' Should Be for Gazans – Minister |url=https://newscentral.africa/trumps-gaza-riviera-should-be-for-gazans-minister/ |access-date=5 March 2025 |work=News Central TV}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aghabekian, Varsen}}

Category:1958 births

Category:21st-century Palestinian women politicians

Category:Academic staff of Al-Quds University

Category:Living people

Category:Palestinian Oriental Orthodox Christians

Category:Palestinian people of Armenian descent

Category:Palestinian women academics

Category:Palestinian women activists

Category:Palestinian women writers

Category:Women government ministers of the Palestinian National Authority