ArmenPress
Nov 30 2004

MHER SHAHGELDIAN BACK FROM UMP’S CONGRESS IN PARIS

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30, ARMENPRESS: Mher Shahgeldian, the chairman
of an Armenian parliament committee on defense and national security
issues from Orinats Yerkir party and David Shahnazarian from
ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosian’s Armenian National Movement (ANM)
were invited by France’s president Jacques Chirac’s governing Union
for a Popular Movement (UMP) party to attend its congress in Paris
that elected the outgoing French Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy as
the new party head. President Chirac did not attend the congress, but
was represented by his wife, Bernadette.
Sarkozy replaces Chirac’s ally, Alain Juppe and is widely expected
to use the post to build up support for a presidential run in 2007
against Mr. Chirac, his former mentor. He won the party leadership
ballot comfortably, with 85% of the vote.
Back in Yerevan Shahgeldian told reporters today that on the
sidelines of the congress he had a meeting with the chairman of
France’s Senate Christian Poncelet to convey to him a message by
Armenian parliament chairman Arthur Baghdasarian.
He also said that Chirac’s decision to award the Legion of Honor
to Baghdasarian is the acknowledgment of his contribution to the
strengthening of Armenian-European ties.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress