Author: Tambiyan Samvel

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Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, CA 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
Email: [email protected]_
Website: _www.anca.org_
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PRESS RELEASE +++ PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Friday, September 10, 2004
Contact: Armen Carapetian
(818) 500-1918
ANCA Praises Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger For Signing Into Law
Poochigian Bill on Armenian Genocide Heirs
Los Angeles, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America
â^À^Ó Western Region (ANCA-WR) praised California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger for signing into law Senate Bill 1689, which will exempt
Armenian Genocide life insurance settlements from state taxation
and other calculations related to income. SB 1689 was authored by
California State Senator Chuck Poochigian.
â^À^ÜSenator Poochigianâ^À^Ùs bill addresses an injustice that New
York Life insurance committed against its policy holders who were
massacred by the Turkish authorities,â^À^Ý commented ANCA-WR Executive
Director Ardashes Kassakhian.
â^À^ÜThe road to justice for the victims of the Armenian Genocide
has been long and arduous. The passage of SB 1689 is an important
step in this process,â^À^Ý added Kassakhian.
The exemptions in this bill, which will now become law, are similar
to exemptions provided to recipients of the Holocaust. This bill
was crafted due to longstanding insurance policy claims by survivors
and descendants of the Armenian Genocide. From the period of 1915 to
1923, Armenians were subjected to a systematic genocide perpetrated
by the Turkish Ottoman Empire. The Armenian Genocide is currently
and actively denied by the Republic of Turkey and their lobbyists
operating in the U.S. Congress.
Prior to 1915, the New York Life Insurance Company wrote thousands
of life insurance policies to Armenians living on historic Armenian
lands in the Ottoman Empire. New York Life had refused to pay out
many of the claims until a settlement was reached last year as a
result of a class action lawsuit. SB 1689 allows the victims and
their descendants to collect their settlements without being subject
to taxation by the State of California.
SB 1689 was introduced by Senator Poochigian on February 20, 2004 and
was subsequently referred to the committee on Revenue and Tax. The
bill was passed by a unanimous 11-0 vote in committee followed by a
37-0 vote by the entire State Senate. SB 1689 secured strong support
in the California State Assembly.
It was then sent to the Governor Schwarzenegger on September 2,
2004 and
quickly signed into law on September 10th.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest
and most influential Armenian American grassroots political
organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCA actively
advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad
range of issues.
####
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Poland, Armenia develop military cooperation in Iraq, condemn school seizure in Russia
Associated Press Worldstream
September 6, 2004 Monday 1:01 PM Eastern Time
WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s president praised Armenia on Monday for
pledging troops to the Polish-led multinational force in Iraq, a move
the former Soviet republic explained in part with a desire to boost
ties with Europe.
Polish leaders heard the offer to contribute about 50 troops during
a visit to Warsaw by Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.
“Such decisions are very difficult, but necessary at the time of
the joint struggle against terrorism,” Polish President Aleksander
Kwasniewski said after talks with Kocharyan.
Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sarkhisyan said his nation would send
transport, sappers and medical teams because it considers itself a
“part of the European family” and feels “obliged to participate in
the efforts to assure security.”
Exact dates for the deployment will be known by November, following
parliamentary approval, he said.
Poland currently commands some 6,500 troops from 16 nations in
central Iraq.
The two leaders also condemned the seizure of a school in southern
Russia in which more than 300 hundred people died.
Kwasniewski and Kocharyan condemned the seizure by terrorist of a
school in North Ossetia that ended in violence and bloodshed.
“There is no justification for such acts of terror,” Kwasniewski
said. “The use of children as shields in reaching one’s goals is a
crime that exceeds human imagination.”

Putin’s Chechnya policies ‘sufficient’: Armenian president
Agence France Presse — English
September 6, 2004 Monday
WARSAW Sept 6 — Armenian President Robert Kocharian on Monday judged
his Russian counterpart’s policies in separatist Chechnya sufficient
to deal with the dangerous conflict, in reaction to the deadly end
to the school siege in southern Russia.
Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s policies are sufficient in face
of the danger which clearly exists in Russia,” the visiting Armenian
head of state told a news conference in Warsaw.
Kocharian’s Polish counterpart Aleksander Kwasniewksi said the
Russian leader faced a “very difficult task” to find a solution to the
Chechen problem, where Putin has been fighting a losing battle against
separatists for some five years amid an ever spiralling casualty rate.
But Kwasniewski also pushed for a political solution to the war.
“It would be good to find a political solution. It would be ideal
if one could find committed partners from the Chechen side who could
stop terrorist acts” like the one at the school in Beslan, which left
more than 330 people dead, Kwasniewski said.
At the joint news conference, both men expressed their sadness and
solidarity with Russia over the hostage-taking.
Kocharian was in Poland on the second day of a three-day visit,
and on Monday the countries signed several agreements on the fight
against organized crime, as well as military and economic cooperation.

Stamford Advocate, CT
Sept 5 2004
[parts omiited]
The U.S. Open script for Andre Agassi has needed no rewrites thus
far.
The No. 6 seed rolled to his third consecutive economical three-set
victory as he vanquished No. 25 seed Jiri Novak of Czech Republic,
6-4, 6-2, 6-3 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the National Tennis Center.
“Today was important. Novak requires you to put forth a quality
match,” Agassi said. “I had to make good decisions. I served well. I
feel I’ve turned the corner in my game heading into the second week.
Four more matches going three sets would be great. But I enjoy
getting through the first week uneventfully.”
Agassi’s lone trouble yesterday was keeping his tennis sneakers in
one piece. A handy tube of glue in his bag saved the day.
“I burn a lot of tread out there,” Agassi laughed. “I enjoy a good
broken-in pair of tennis shoes. But sometimes you cross the line on
wear rather than rotate them out.”
While the tennis world has its sights set on a quarterfinal round
meeting with Federer, Agassi only has eyes for Sargis Sargsian of
Armenia and Hamden in Monday’s fourth round.
“I haven’t taken anything or any opponent for granted on the tennis
court since my early 20s,” the 34-year-old Agassi said. “Roger
Federer is a problem to worry about at the proper time.”
Agassi will be getting an exhausted Sargsian, who outfought
Paul-Henri Mathieu through five grueling sets over four hours and 41
minutes last night, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
Sargsian made his life much more eventful by cashing in just one of a
possible 10 break points in the fifth set.
“It’s a relief,” said Sargsian of his comeback from two sets down.
“The match was so close. I wanted to win so badly. It’s an amazing
feeling. I feel like I’m in a different world.”
In a marathon that featured 341 total points, Sargsian collected 65
winners to 47 for Mathieu. But he had 69 unforced errors to 56 for
Mathieu.
Sargsian was also a monster at net, successful on 32 of 45 net
approaches (71 percent). To the delight of his Armenian faithful led
by 102-year-old grandfather emeritus Minas Masourian of New Haven.
“He was a tennis champion in Iran and he’s been here every day,”
Sargsian said. “I stayed with his family when I first came to
America.”
In his second round match Thursday, Sargsian outlasted Nicolas Massu
in five sets in a near record-setting five hours and 10 minutes.
And now, he must face fellow Armenian and best friend Andre Agassi.
“I am mentally tired. But I think my legs are going to hang in
there,” said Sargsian. “It’s like a dream to play a legend like Andre
on a court like this. Hopefully it will be a good match and he
doesn’t kill me.
“To me, Andre is like a big brother and unbelievable friend,”
Sargsian continued. “Andre has an amazing heart. And the intensity of
practicing with him is as great as you can find. Andre is my friend
but I want to win. We will both give our best out there.”

New U.S. ambassador takes over in Kazakhstan
Associated Press Worldstream
September 3, 2004 Friday 6:55 AM Eastern Time
ALMATY, Kazakhstan — A new U.S. ambassador has arrived in Kazakhstan
and assumed duties in the oil-rich Central Asian nation, the
U.S. Embassy said Friday.
John M. Ordway arrived Thursday in the Kazakh commercial center,
Almaty, where the U.S. Embassy is located, it said in a statement.
Ordway, a career diplomat, previously headed the U.S. diplomatic
mission in Armenia. He also served at the U.S. embassies in Russia
and Poland, and at the U.S. mission to NATO in Brussels, the statement
said.
Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic the size of Western Europe,
is Central Asia’s most economically developed nation.
It is the only country in the region that is contributing a military
contingent to the international force in Iraq.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Reuters AlertNet
Sept 3 2004
Tavush storm response improves living conditions for 21,000 people
World Vision International
World Vision International (WVI) – Australia
Website:
More than 21,000 people in Armenia’s Tavush region are benefiting
from 50 restoration projects, as World Vision helps rebuild
communities devastated by the storm that hit the country in March
this year.
The storm wreaked enormous damage in towns and villages across the
World Vision US-funded Tavush Area Development Programme (ADP) in
north-east Armenia, tearing roofs off residential buildings and
damaging water supply facilities.
Funding from World Vision in the United States and Hong Kong has
enabled World Vision Armenia to address the needs of the communities
affected by the disaster.
In Azatamut community, the storm damaged the roofs of many apartment
buildings, and frequent rains created serious problems for residents.
“It rains almost every day and the walls and ceiling in our apartment
are damp and mouldy. My two-year-old granddaughter, Ani, catches
colds very often,” said Greta Tamrazyan, one of 169 residents of a
five-story building.
“We tried to cover the holes in the roof, but the wind keeps ripping
off pieces of old roofing,” said Lilit Atabekyan, another resident.
Together with the local community and with funding from World Vision
US, the Tavush ADP is renovating the roofs of some 21 apartment
buildings in Azatamut. World Vision supplied roofing and other
construction materials and the community provided construction
workers.
With funding from World Vision Hong Kong, more than 860 people will
benefit from the renovation of roofs in six residential buildings in
the town of Ijevan. World Vision Armenia has already completed the
renovation of the roof of a nine-story residential building.
“I used to wake up at the sound of rain and start placing buckets and
basins under the water pouring off the ceiling. Thanks to World
Vision I don’t have to do that anymore,” said Nektak Yeritsyan, a
resident.
“My son worked on the construction. Many people wanted to help,” she
added.
“These projects are very important not only because they are helping
to improve living conditions for many poor families. By working
together, people are realising that only their active participation
and cooperation makes projects like these possible,” said Varoujan
Nersisyan, the Mayor of Ijevan.
For more on World Vision’s activities in Armenia, visit
For more information on World Vision
International visit , or contact us at
[email protected]

Azerbaijan believes Nagorno-Karabakh talks necessary – Aliyev
Interfax
Sept 3 2004
Baku. (Interfax-Azerbaijan) – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
has said he believes negotiations on settling the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict should be continued.
“The fact that I have not yet abandoned negotiations on Nagorno-
Karabakh means that I believe in their productivity. I have said
repeatedly that I am not going to take part in negotiations just
to imitate them. If we see at some point that negotiations are
inefficient, Azerbaijan will be the first to stop this process. Now
I believe there is a need for negotiations,” Aliyev told the press
in Naxcivan on Thursday.
“The negotiations are underway, and foreign ministers continue
to meet. But we have so far been unable to reach any agreement,”
Aliyev said.
He said he hopes “the negotiations will bring about a result.”
Touching on criticism that some CIS countries leveled at the OSCE at
the latest summit in July, the Azerbaijani president said, “Our opinion
was expressed at the summit in July, when Azerbaijan did not sign this
statement. We are pursuing a policy independent from anybody,” he said.
“This independence is above all for us. Therefore, relations between
us and the OSCE concern only us. We could also be critical about the
OSCE activity, and we have expressed this criticism. I personally
expressed our displeasure in a very harsh form right after elections.
But these issues concern only us,” he said.
“The issue that was raised at the July summit is of a political nature,
and Azerbaijan is not going to join this issue,” he said.
Baku lost control over Nagorno-Karabakh and areas adjacent to it in
a bloody conflict with Armenia in the early 1990s. Co-chairmen of
the OSCE Minsk Group representing the U.S., Russia, and France are
mediating in the conflict settlement.

THE FIRST LESSON AT NKR SCHOOLS TO BE DEDICATED TO 13TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE
ArmenPress
Aug 31 2004
STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS: The first lesson in all educational
establishments in Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) on September 1 will
be dedicated to the 13th anniversary of proclamation of independence
in NKR. The lessons will be conducted by NKR security council and
government officials, NKR National Assembly deputies. NKR Defense
Army military columns will march along the central streets of the
capital. A government delegation will head from the Square of Revival
to the Memorial where they will put wreaths to the memory of soldiers
killed during the war. Before that a government delegation will put
flowers on the grave of NKR Supreme Soviet first chairman Arthur
Mkrtchian. At 1 p.m. concerts, sports competitions and national
marches will start at the parks and other places of the capital.

Azg Armenian Daily
Aug 31 2004
VERDICT OF THE ARMENIAN PILOTS ARRESTED IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA TO BE
BROUGHT ON SEPTEMBER 1
OSKANIAN AND MAMEDIAROV MEET IN PRAGUE
STEPANAKERT ELECTED ITS NEW MAYOR
AZERBAIJAN TO BECOME THE MAIN LINK IN THE ISRAELI-IRANIAN
CONFRONTATION
TRACES OF RUSSIAN PLANE’S CRUSH LEAD TO BAKU
PRE-SEPTEMBER DISCUSSIONS
FLAG AND ANTHEM OF YEREVAN TO BE READY BY EREBUNI-YEREVAN
CELEBRATIONS
HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II RECEIVES FOREIGN MINISTER OF DENMARK
*********************************************************************
VERDICT OF THE ARMENIAN PILOTS ARRESTED IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA TO BE
BROUGHT ON SEPTEMBER 1
Hamlet Gasparian, Press Speaker of RA Foreign Ministry, informed
Regnum agency that the court investigation of the case of the six
Armenian pilots arrested in Equatorial Guinea is still on. “It is
expected that on August 31 the court will have a break, while on
September 1 it will bring in the verdict of the case,” Gasparian
said. Earlier, the lawyer of the Armenian pilots asked the court to
shorten the case in the part of his defendants and release them from
the prison. It’s worth mentioning that in the March of 2004 dozens of
people, including foreigners, were arrested in the Equatorial Guinea,
charged with the attempt of revolution. Diudot, citizen of the
Southern Africa, head of the group, accepting his guilt partly, also
said that the rest of the arrested had no idea of the revolution.
*********************************************************************
OSKANIAN AND MAMEDIAROV MEET IN PRAGUE
On August 30 the fourth meeting of RA and Azeri Foreign Ministers,
dedicated to the settlement of Nagorno Karabagh conflict, took place
in Prague. RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information Agency
informed that Steven Mann, Yuri Merzliakov, Henry Jackolin, OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairs, as well as Andrzej Kasprzyk, representative of
OSCE Chairman, were present at the meeting.
The meeting had no special agenda. RA and Azeri Foreign Ministers
discussed different aspects for the conflict’s settlement, as well as
various issues concerning the settlement prospects.
By the way, RA Foreign Ministry refuted the information spread by
Turkish Anatolu agency recently. It said that the meeting of the
Azeri, Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers is envisaged in New
York on September 17. Regnum reporter was told at the ministry that
Oskanian will leave for New York to hold speech at UN Chief Assembly
in late September.
*********************************************************************
STEPANAKERT ELECTED ITS NEW MAYOR
The Prime Minister of Nagorno Karabakh Anushava Danielian introduced
the new mayor of Stepanakert, capital of Karabakh, Eduard Akhabekian
to municipality staff. Speaking of the August elections of the
institutions of local governing the PM defined them as diacritic. He
also drew newly appointed mayor’s attention to of municipal, house
building and other issues that Stepanakert faces.
Considering the city economy of Stepanakert unsatisfying, PM
Danielian expressed his hope that the mayor will be realistic and
full of responsibility in his approaches to the existing problems. He
noted that the government is ready to support any program aimed to
better conditions in the town but at the same will be send new
challenges to the mayor.
By Kim Gabrielian from Stepanakert
*********************************************************************
AZERBAIJAN TO BECOME THE MAIN LINK IN THE ISRAELI-IRANIAN
CONFRONTATION
Cooling in Baku-Tehran Relations After Khatami’s Visit
“Abasali Hasanov, Azeri ambassador to Iran was called by the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Iran last week. He was handed a precautionary
letter for the Azeri government. Tehran condemns Azerbaijan for
creating favorable conditions for the Israeli Mosad inside Iran and
thus intervenes in the home policy of the country”, Baku’s Zerkalo
August 28 issue quotes the Arabian Al Jazeera.
The note of the Iranian Foreign Ministry to Baku also reads that
Mosad is buying territories in Azerbaijan along the border of Iran.
According to Al Jazeera, that cites the words of a Turkish high-rank
military official, Mosad is engaged in electronic reconnaissance of
Iran. The same method is also practiced in the south of Azerbaijan,
the Turkish official said.
“Azerbaijan becomes the key link in Israeli-Iranian confrontation.
After the Iranian president Khatami’s visit to Azerbaijan, it was
rumored that the two presidents had secret discussions. Iran claimed
that Azerbaijan has to put an end to the activities of the Israeli
secret services operating in its territory. The Azeri president Ilham
Aliyev declared shortly after the meeting that he will never allow
Azerbaijan’s territory to be used against Iran”, Zerkalo informs.
That was the Israeli mass media that informed about Khatami-Aliyev
secret talks, writes Baku Eni Musavat newspaper. “Iran demanded
Azerbaijan to close Mosad intelligence center at the Iran border and
to immediately evict the Jewish spies”, writes Eni Musavat.
According to Israeli Debka website, Aliyev was surprised by Khatami’s
information and said that the Iranian president should have checked
the information before taking a decision.
By Tatoul Hakobian
*********************************************************************
TRACES OF RUSSIAN PLANE’S CRUSH LEAD TO BAKU
Amnat Nagaeva and Satsista Jebirkhanova, friends, that were among the
passengers of “Tu-134” and “Tu-154” planes crushed in the Russian sky
on August 24. The Izvestia, Russian reliable newspaper, carried out
an investigation and found out that the girls could have been
terrorists controlled from Baku and not from Chechnya.
As a result of the crush, a supposed terrorist act, all the
passengers and the crew of the planes, amounting to 90 people, were
killed.
The Izvestia doesn’t name a definite extremist organization based in
Baku that could take up the order of the terrorist act. It is known
that Azerbaijan is frequently spoken about in the international
scandals connected with terrorism. Thus, it was proved that the
terrorist acts aimed to explode the U.S. Embassies based in Kenya and
Tanzania were controlled from Baku. Over 200 people were killed and
about 5000 people were wounded then.
*********************************************************************
PRE-SEPTEMBER DISCUSSIONS
“We want our state chalk, our state blackboard and state mastic,
otherwise, we can’t exist,” Narine Hovhannisian, director of Yerevan
school # 20, said this during the working meeting on August 30. The
officials of the republic’s educational sphere call up working
meetings with the directors of the capital’s school for already
several years. The meetings are aimed to settle the problems of the
previous year. Mrs. Hovhannisian touched upon the phenomenon of
gathering money for the school’s needs. She offered to use the spare
territories of the schools for rent and accumulate the money earned
in this way for the urgent needs of the schools. The heads didn’t
object this offer, but they insisted that the schools should publish
the data about the used territories and the sums gathered as a
result. “A regulation should be elaborated for the territories to be
given for rent. Today, there are cases when the school territories
are used as bakeries and taxi garages,” said Yervand Zakarian
Yerevan’s Mayor. Omik Vatian, Head of RA Mayor’s Office’s Department
of Education, spoke of the results of the examinations done in the
schools. Compared with the previous year the schoolchildren studied
better by 3,5%. Mr. Vatian said that the represented data are
encouraging but they don’t always reflect the reality. “We found out
during our checking by the end of the academic year that it’s a usual
fact for the capital’s schools to change the marks of the children
and improve their results artificially,” he said.
He was also concerned about the way Armenian is taught in the school,
stating the teachers train their pupils for the entrance exams only
during the classes of the Armenian language. “The teachers justify
their approach by saying that they are training the pupils for the
entrance exams, but they forget that the schools are meant to educate
the schoolchildren in various fields and not to train them for the
entrance exams,” he underscored.
By Tamar Minasian
*********************************************************************
FLAG AND ANTHEM OF YEREVAN TO BE READY BY EREBUNI-YEREVAN
CELEBRATIONS
The Erebuni-Yerevan annual celebration was the main reason of Arman
Sahakian’s, deputy mayor of Yerevan, meeting with journalists. The
flag and the anthem of Yerevan should be ready by October 13, the
opening of Erebuni-Yerevan celebrations. The mayor of Yerevan is
heading a commission formed to undertake the preparations. The flag
and the anthem will be presented to public discussions, as it’s not
the officials’ prerogative to choose them, said the deputy mayor. In
the coming two months the Yerevanners will have the chance to be
convinced of truthfulness of these words. Till now any decision of
such importance was taken without considering vox populi.
There is already a huge amount of anthems and flags presented for the
competition.
The daily programs of the celebration is not fully arranged,
preparation works are in process. The amount of money to be spent on
celebrations is not certain so far but the allocated money is 70
million AMD. Many guest, including from sister towns, are invited to
the celebrations.
By Karine Danielian
*********************************************************************
HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II RECEIVES FOREIGN MINISTER OF DENMARK
On August 27, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians, received Per Stig Moeller, Foreign
Minister of the Kingdom of Denmark, in the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin. Mr. Moeller was accompanied by Vladimir Karmirshalian,
Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Denmark.
Welcoming Mr. Moeller to the spiritual and administrative
headquarters of the Armenian Church, His Holiness reflected on the
mission of the Church as well as the close historic ties which exist
between the two countries and peoples. His Holiness also spoke of the
positive relations that have been established in recent years in the
ecclesiastical sphere between the Churches of Denmark and Armenia.
During the meeting, the Catholicos and the Foreign Minister also
discussed the Nagorno Karabagh issue, and the desire of all parties
to see it resolved through peaceful means. His Holiness informed Mr.
Moeller that he has met a number of times with the spiritual head of
Azerbaijan, and confirmed that religious leaders have a very
important role in the resolution of the conflict, by publicly
advocating that disagreements must be solved through mutual
understanding and reciprocal dialogue.
Finally, the Pontiff of All Armenians touched upon the concerns of
Armenians living in Denmark, and their desire to become active,
contributing members of Danish society.
At the conclusion of the meeting, His Holiness extended his gratitude
to the state authorities of the Kingdom of Denmark and to the Danish
people, for the assistance and help they have provided to Armenians,
most notably following the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 and the
devastating earthquake in Northern Armenia of 1988.
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin Information Services
*********************************************************************
PUTIN ACCEPTS KHAJIMBA, ABKHAZIAN PRIME MINISTER
On August 30 news agencies informed that Vladimir Putin, RF
President, who is in Sochi, met with Raul Khajimba, Prime Minister of
the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia. This meeting is interesting
for the fact that the head of Russia meets with the prime minister of
an unrecognized state (Abkhazian President Ardzinba is seriously ill
and the prime minister is the acting president for several years
already). The presidents of Abkhazia, Nagorno Karabagh, South Ossetia
and Transdnestria, shaped in the post-Soviet area, have visited
Moscow frequently and met with the counselors or the officials of RF
Foreign Ministry.
*********************************************************************

RIA Novosti, Russia
Aug 27 2004
ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN WAR GAME OVER IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, August 27 (RIA Novosti’s Gamlet Matevosian) – On Friday a
joint Armenian-Russian tactical exercise was over on the Marshal
Bagramian Training Range in Armenia.
On the Armenian side, a motorized rifle regiment reinforced by a tank
battalion, two reconnaissance parties, engineer company, artillery
battery, two Su-25 fighters and four Mi-24 helicopters participated
in the exercise. On the Russian side, it was a motorized rifle
regiment of the 102nd Russian military base in Armenia (city of
Gyumri) reinforced by artillery, RIA Novosti quotes Colonel Seran
Shakhsuvarian, press secretary of the Armenian Defence Ministry, as
saying.
In all, about 2,000 servicemen took part.
The goal of the four-day exercise was to act our cooperation in
defence.
The 102nd Russian military base, stationed in Gyumri in 1995, is
doing combat duty within the CIS united air defence. The base is
subordinated to the Russian Transcaucasian body of troops of the
North Caucasian military district. Its strength is about 5,000. The
102nd base has an S-300 antiaircraft missile system and MiG-29
fighters.