Vazgen Karakhanyan was born on August 5, 1946 in the village of Sinadan in the Isfahan region of Iran.

Mr. Karakhanyan studied at the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute (for political rea­sons left his studies incomplete). He was awarded a Garegin Nzhdeh Medal in 2003.

In 1968 he started his career as a technician in the Housing Administration of Yerevan District of  26 Commissaries. From 1970-1972 he worked as a fitter and store­keeper in the Haykapshin Administrative Office. The next five years he worked first as a storekeeper, worker and later technical supervisor in the Yerevan Automobile Loading Plant. From 1977-1981 he worked as a skilled worker in the Abovyanshen Trust. From 1981-2003 he was a worker and later field head, assistant to the director and in the end Deputy Director in Yerevan Hydroaparat Plant.

From 2003-2007 he was a deputy in the NA (proportional system, RPA). He was a member of  the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs. He was a member of the Republican Party of Armenia Faction.

On May 12, 2007 he was elected as a deputy of the National Assembly by the proportional system from the Republican Party of Armenia/RPA.

Mr. Karakhanyan is married and has four children.