Vazgen Manukyan was born on February 13, 1946 in the Manukyan family that had emigrated from Moxoene to Yerevan during the Armenian Genocide. His father, Mikael Manukyan, was a Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, a professor at Yerevan State University (YSU). Mother, Astghik Hakobyan, was born in Gyumri and graduated from the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the YSU.

Vazgen Manukyan graduated from the school after A. Chekhov as an external student. From 1963 to 1968 Vazgen Manukyan studied at the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, YSU. From 1966 to 1967 he studied at the Moscow State University. On April 24, 1967, he was forced to leave Moscow University to return to Yerevan for participating in the protest in front of the Turkish Embassy in Moscow. From 1969 to 1972 he was a postgraduate student at the Novosibirsk Subsidiary of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union. He holds a PhD in Physical and Mathematical Sciences, he is an associate professor, an author of number of scientific articles. From 1972 to 1990 he lectured “Optimization Methods”, “Mathematical Analysis” at the Faculty of Applied Mathematics of YSU.

Vazgen Manukyan has started his political career during his student years. Until 1988 he was a member and organizer of various political organizations, uniting Armenian intelligentsia. That is why he was standing at the origins of the Karabakh movement. Since February, 1988 he was a member of the “Karabakh” Committee. Starting from June, 1988 he was the Coordinator of the “Karabakh” Committee. On December 10, 1988, he was arrested along with other members of the “Karabakh” Committee and spent 6 months in “Matroskaya Tishina” prison in Moscow.

Vazgen Manukyan was the co-founder and the first Chairman of the Administrative Board of the Pan-Armenian National Movement (ANM). From 1990 to 1995 was a Deputy of the Supreme Council of Armenia and from 1995 to 2007 a member of the National Assembly of Armenia (NA).

On August 13, 1990, he was appointed the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Armenian, thus becoming the first Prime Minister of the third republic of Armenia.  On the one hand, it was necessary to make efforts to slow down the collapse, on the other hand, it was necessary to move quickly to a new economic system. The government, which held all the executive power (the constitution did not provide for the office of presidency, all executive power was vested in the government by the Supreme Council), successfully implemented this complex program having relations based on political trust not only with the governments of the Soviet Union Republics but also with the governments of other countries as well.

Vazgen Manukyan maintained a strong layer of professionals; experienced ministers, directors of large factories, who played a major role in establishing full relations with the new government and the USSR economic structures. The government led by Vazgen Manukyan had launched a series of systemic reforms that provided a serious foundation for the country’s further development.

Due to growing disagreements between him and the other leaders of the ANM Vazgen Manukyan resigned from the post of Prime Minister on September 25, 1991.

In 1991 together with his supporters and the active members of the Movement he initiated the establishment of the “National Democratic Union” (NDU) political party. Since 1991 he is the Chairman of the Administrative Board of the NDU.

In September 1992 Vazgen Manukyan was appointed the Minister of State, thereafter the Defense Minister of the Republic of Armenia, at the same time running the military-industrial complex of the Republic of Armenia. During the period of his governance the regular Armenian army was formed, the course of the war changed, and when the Armenian side was persistently winning, in August,1993 he had been dismissed from the post.

In 1995, Vazgen Manukyan was elected a member of NA from the polling district number 20.

In the presidential election of 1996 the main political parties and forces united, nominating Vazgen Manukyan as a candidate of national accord in the presidential elections. Vazgen Manukyan won the people’s vote of confidence, but Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s administration kept power in its hands with the force and falsifications.

From 1999 to 2003 Vazgen Manukyan was a member of the of the NA (elected by the NDU proportional list). He was a member of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. First he was the Leader of the NDU faction of NA, and later only a member.

On May 25, 2003 Vazgen Manukyan was elected a member of NA by the proportional list of the “Justice”  alliance. He was a member of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth. He was a member of “Justice” faction.

In 2007 he did not participate in the parliamentary elections.

From March 2009 to December 2019 Vazgen Manukyan was the President of the Public Council of the Republic of Armenia.

In 2019 he has founded a social-political club Vernatun.

The causes and course of the Second Artsakh War, which took place from September 27 to November 9, 2020, and then the signing of the joint statement on November 9, 2020, by Armenian Prime Minister, Russian President and Azerbaijani President raised a wave of protests in Armenia, demanding the resignation of RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. 17 Parliamentary and extra-parliamentary parties formed the “Homeland Salvation Movement” Council and on December 3, 2020, Vazgen Manukyan was nominated as a joint candidate for the position of Prime Minister and head of the transitional government.

Awards

Vazgen Manukyan was awarded the “Tigran the Great” order, the “Mesrop Mashtots” order from the Republic of Artsakh.

Vazgen Manukyan is married and have 3 daughters.