THE RUSSIAN YEAR STARTED IN ARMENIA

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25-03-2005

Today Vladimir Putin and Robert Kocharyan officially opened the Russian
year in Armenia. The official ceremony started with the Russian anthem,
after which the Armenian anthem sounded. Robert Kocharyan mentioned
in his speech that the Armenian and Russian nations are tied together
not only with culture and history but also with relations in many
different areas – power, industry, business, bank system, as well as
in the investment field at large.

Vladimir Putin noted that Moscow cannot be imagined without the
Armenian alley, neither the Russian culture without Ayvazovski,
Toukhmanov, Aram Khachatryan and Vakhtangovâ’s theater.

He said that the Armenian nation connects the future of its children
with the Armenian-Russian relations. Vladimir Putin claimed that
Russia would do everything possible to settle the Karabakh conflict.
He announced that there are 3000 Armenian students in Moscow, 2000 of
which study free of charge, while 175 get stipend. The RF President
mentioned the fact that in Yerevan there are 50 Russian schools and
he promised to open Armenian schools in Moscow.

The concert was conducted by the famous announcer of the Russian TV
company “Culture” Svyateslav Belza. And the concert was opened by
the Dance Ensemble conducted by Igor Mayeseev.

And although the Russian year in Armenia could be opened by a
more representative group of musicians, the end of the ceremony
was impressive: the famous song “Day of Victory” was sung by RF
National artist Lev Leshchenko and Tigran Heqeqyan’s choir “Little
singers”. And Svyateslav Belza, noticing the symbolizing detail –
“the legend of the Russian song and the future of the Armenian art –
the marvelous children, sing together”, announced that next year they
will expect the bodies of Armenian art in Moscow during the events
of the Armenian year in Russia.

–Boundary_(ID_sI2Vi+Sno8gK8g3/xYpCNQ)–