The Institute of Oriental Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia (NAS RA) recently hosted Aleppo-Armenian ophthalmologist, translator, and public figure Alexander Keshishian.

During the meeting, Gohar Iskandaryan, Director of the Institute and PhD, Associate Professor, warmly welcomed Mr. Keshishyan and commended his significant contributions to strengthening Armenian-Arab cultural and scholarly relations. His efforts are notably reflected in his translations from Armenian into Arabic and vice versa, covering a wide range of subjects.

Alexander Keshishian has translated over 80 books into Arabic from Armenian, English, Russian, and Turkish. His translations encompass topics such as the Armenian Cause, the Armenian Genocide, Armenian history, the Church, historical and cultural Armenian-Arab connections, Armenian theater, press, crafts, as well as international relations. Among the works he translated are publications by NAS RA Institute of Oriental Studies scholars Lilith Harutyunyan, Araks Pashayan, Armanush Kozmoyan, Gor Gevorgyan, and Aghavni Harutyunyan, as well as the three-volume series of the History of Neighboring Countries of Armenia.

During the conversation, Mr. Keshishyan mentioned that having lived most of his life in a Muslim Arab environment, he has always considered it his mission to introduce the Arab public to Armenia and the Armenian people, making Armenian culture and history accessible. In pursuit of this goal, he has translated and gifted numerous books to Arab and international writers, historians, university professors, diplomats, senior military officials, ministers, and both public and governmental figures.

Director Gohar Iskandaryan expressed gratitude to Alexander Keshishyan for his ongoing collaboration with the Institute of Oriental Studies and for his role in building cultural bridges. She emphasized that his work has significantly contributed to promoting Armenian culture and history in the Arab world and has helped advance Armenian-Arab public diplomacy. The meeting also included discussions on potential future projects.

The meeting was attended by Ruben Safrastyan, Advisor to the Director of the Institute and Academician, and PhD, Professor Aram Kosyan, Head of the Department of Ancient Near East at the Institute.