ARMENIA AND KARABAKH CELEBRATE VICTORY AND PEACE DAY, SHUSHI LIBERATION ANNIVERSARY

ARMENPRESS
May 09 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 9, ARMENPRESS: Prime minister Serzh Sarkisian and
members of his government visited today the Yerablour cemetery,
where many Armenians fallen in the Karabakh war, were laid to rest,
to remember their brothers- in- arms.

In a related news in commemoration of the 15-th anniversary of
liberation of the town of Shushi in Nagorno-Karabakh president
Kocharian decreed to award medals to 1.760 servicemen and volunteers
for their contribution to the victory.

Later in the day prime minister Serzh Sarkisian, other government
officials and hundreds of gray-haired war veterans paid tribute to
Armenians fallen in World War II at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier
in Yerevan’s Victory Park. Hundreds of younger Armenians laid flowers
by its eternal fire.

A monument commemorating the 15-th anniversary of the liberation of
the town of Shushi was unveiled today at Azatutyun (Freedom) avenue
in Yerevan.

The ceremony was attended by prime minister Serzh Sarkisian, who said,
" This monument is to all those guys who sacrificed their lives for
our freedom and for defense of our borders. This monument is to all
those who fought bravely and were saved by God."

The 15-th anniversary of the liberation of Shushi and the Victory and
Peace Day were celebrated today in Stepanakert, the capital city of
Nagorno-Karabakh, by a big military parade and other festivities.

Armenian president Robert Kocharian traveled to Stepanakert to take
part in these festivities.

The parade was watched by hundreds of Diaspora Armenians who arrived in
Karabakh to join local people for celebration of ‘the triple holiday."

The nationwide celebrations will end with concerts and fireworks show
in the evening.

Some 600,000 citizens of Soviet Armenia took part in what is called in
the former USSR the Great Patriotic War and almost half of them lost
their lives. Armenia’s population at that time was about 2 million.