Vitaly Balasanyan

Vitaly Balasanyan
Balasanyan in 2012
Native name	Վիտալի Բալասանյան
Born	(1959-03-05) 5 March 1959 (age 65) Askeran, NKAO, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Artsakh
Service/branch	Artsakh Defense Army
Years of service	1990—2005
Rank	Major General
Commands held	Artsakh Defense Army
Battles/wars	First Nagorno-Karabakh War
Awards	Hero of Artsakh Order of the Combat Cross (1st degree)

Vitaly Mikhaili Balasanyan (Armenian: Վիտալի Միխայիլի Բալասանյան, born 5 March 1959) is an Artsakhi politician and retired general. He served as the head of the National Security Council of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh from November 2016 to November 2019 and again from December 2020 to January 2023. For his services in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, he was awarded the country's highest title, Hero of Artsakh. He previously served as a member of Artsakh's National Assembly. He twice ran, unsuccessfully, for the office of President of Artsakh.^[1][2]