Alberto M. Fernandez
Ambassador Alberto M. Fernandez is Vice President of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) and a former President of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. A U.S. Foreign Service Officer from 1983 to 2015, he served as Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, Chargé d’Affaires in Sudan, and held senior posts across the Middle East and Latin America. He was also the State Department’s Coordinator for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications. Born in Cuba and raised in the U.S., he served in the Army and holds degrees in Middle East Studies. He writes widely on foreign policy and public diplomacy.
Key Topics
- Armenia-NATO Relations— Armenia's relationship with NATO, including military exercises, interoperability programs, and the debate over whether deeper ties are feasible or desirable.
- Armenia-US Relations— U.S.-Armenia relations, including USAID programs, defense cooperation talks, Armenian-American lobby efforts, and Washington's South Caucasus policy.
- Armenian Church— The Armenian Apostolic Church's role in national identity, the Pashinyan government's conflict with Etchmiadzin, and the arrest of clergy in 2024–2025.
- Armenian Genocide Recognition— International recognition of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, its political and legal dimensions, and ongoing efforts at accountability and reparations.
- Geopolitics— Armenia's strategic position in the South Caucasus and its relationships with regional and global powers in a rapidly shifting multipolar world.