Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani has a new side gig: conference headliner in Armenia.
The 74-year old Trump defense attorney spoke Tuesday in Yerevan at the International Forum of Eurasian Partnership, a conference aimed at promoting the Eurasian Economic Union – the Russia-organized economic bloc.
The former New York City mayor and current personal attorney to President Trump was the final speaker at a plenary session titled “technological breakthroughs and potential opportunities of the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union.”
Joining Giuliani, a former U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, was Sergey Glazyev, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin who was sanctioned in March 2014 for his role in the annexation of Crimea.
It was not immediately clear whether – or how much – Giuliani received an honorarium for his visit. Phone calls and emails to his company, Giuliani Security & Safety, went unanswered.
A video from Yerevan showed Giuliani being led around a memorial to the Armenian genocide, flanked by local journalists and security guards.
“I’m here as a private citizen, and it’s my first time in Armenia,” Giuliani said. “I am not here in my capacity as a private lawyer to President Trump.”
John Huvane, a top Giuliani associate who works as his director of security, joined him on his journey to the Caucasian republic. Huvane enlightened guests with his insights on “subcontracting,” according to an event agenda, focusing on “international cooperation and cybersecurity issues.”
The conference lists Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Economic Development as one of its sponsors.
Giuliani was invited to the event by Russian-Armenian multimillionaire Ara Abramyan, who heads the Union of Armenians of Russia, according to a local press report. Abramyan, an UNESCO goodwill ambassador, was awarded an order “For merit to the fatherland” by Putin at the Kremlin last year.
Abramyan sits on the advisory board of TriGlobal Strategic Ventures, a consulting firm the New York Times described as “providing image consulting to Russian oligarchs and clients with deep Kremlin ties.” The firm, whose president used to work for Giuliani’s consulting company, sponsored a Giuliani junket to Ukraine in November 2017. Giuliani spent a day in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, palling around with the city’s mayor in relation to a contract that saw Giuliani’s security firm advise on cybersecurity issues and help set up a 911-style hotline for local law enforcement.
Giuliani also took money in a bizarre incident in July involving an anti-corruption fight in Romania. The former top New York federal prosecutor sent a letter to the country’s president advocating for changes in the country’s anti-graft policy, contradicting the State Department’s position on the country.
Giuliani told Politico in July that he was paid for the report by former FBI Director Louis Freeh’s consulting group.
“They are paying my fee,” he was reported as saying.
Top photo: Trump defense attorney Rudy Giuliani speaks with Armenian officials in a photo dated Oct. 22, 2018 released by the country’s Ministry of Defense.
