2026 APRI Dallas Meeting

Seda leads APRI Armenia’s development (fundraising) strategy and works closely with key individual and institutional partners to advance the organization’s research and policy mission—to shift Armenia’s trajectory toward a more stable, sustainable, and democratic future. Seda brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising strategy and execution, and international development, with a professional background spanning US-based and international organizations. She holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential and is actively engaged with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) as part of her commitment to continuous professional development and ethical fundraising practice. She holds two Master’s degrees, one in Social Work from Yerevan State University and another in Philanthropic Studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Hrair Balian has served in leadership positions with the UN, the OSCE, and NGOs (Carter Center and International Crisis Group). During a 35-year career in public service, he has worked on conflict resolution, elections and human rights in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia, Middle East and Africa. Balian has also taught conflict resolution, negotiations, and mediation at the Emory University School of Law. Book author – Anatomy of Peacemaking: Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict & Missed Opportunities (Palgrave Macmillan, Feb 2026).

Artyom Geghamyan is a legal and policy expert with over 20 years of experience advising governments, companies, and international institutions on regulatory, transactional, and strategic matters related to critical minerals and resource-based industries. He is the Managing Partner of TABIA Legal Solutions, a Yerevan-based legal and advisory firm specializing in energy, infrastructure, and strategic resource transactions. Artyom also serves as the Executive Chairman of the International Chamber of Mines of Armenia (ICMA), where he leads efforts to align Armenia’s resource potential with global sustainability, supply chain resilience, and geopolitical priorities. An attorney admitted to practice in New York and the Republic of Armenia, Artyom brings extensive legal and institutional expertise to structuring investment frameworks, sovereign resource strategies, and regulatory reforms. He previously served as Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia and was a member of the Constitutional Reform Commission. He holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and an LL.M. from Indiana University McKinney School of Law, with a focus on international and comparative law.

Arda Haratunian is a strategic communications advisor to public and private companies, leveraging a 40-year career in communications, public affairs and public policy spanning both the public and private sectors. She also teaches at Queens College in its honors Business and Liberal Arts program, and formerly, Columbia University, where she was a founding member of the advisory board for the master’s program in strategic communications. Before launching her own practice 14 years ago, Arda held senior policy and communications positions in the financial services industry, and in state and local government, managing large scale initiatives related to government efficiency, health and human services and regional planning. Arda’s experience with organizations of various sizes and geographic scope – ranging from the world’s largest and most global financial services company to non-profits, startups and government entities – has given her a unique perspective on the role of a communications advisor. Her practice includes executive communications, workforce training, and crisis communications. Long active in civic and community activities, Arda is a member of the boards of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, APRI Armenia, The Armenia Project and the American University of Armenia, as well as the Energeia Partnership for Regional Stewardship. She earned her BA in Communications and Political Science from Queens College and her MA in Public Administration from New York University.

Dr. Sergei Melkonian is a Research Fellow at APRI Armenia, focusing on Russia and Iran. He is also a visiting professor at Yerevan State University and Russian-Armenian University. Before joining APRI, he served as an Assistant to the President of Armenia from 2020 to 2022, covering post-Soviet countries and the Middle East. Dr. Melkonian was a Research Fellow in the Institute of Oriental Studies (RAS) for four years, focusing on Israeli foreign and defense policy, as well as security dynamics in the Middle East. From 2018-2020, he was Head of the Eurasian and Middle Eastern Department at the Armenian Research and Development Institute. He holds a PhD in History. He has authored multiple academic papers for peer-reviewed journals and written several book chapters, analytical reports, and articles for different think-tanks, as well as op-eds for international platforms.

Olesya is a conflict analyst with over 15 years of experience researching and advocating on developments in the South Caucasus. Her publications regularly appear in leading think tanks and research centers, contributing to regional policy debates. She previously worked with the International Crisis Group, Freedom House, and the OSCE. Her field research in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh has informed policy discussions among governments and international organizations. In 2024, she received the International Young Women’s Peace Award. Before moving into conflict analysis, Olesya was an investigative journalist covering security issues in the South Caucasus, contributing to The New York Times and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She is currently a PhD student at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. She holds advanced degrees from King’s College London and the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs.