LIBERATION OF SHUSHI WAS CONTINUATION OF VICTORY IN GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR, 83-YEAR-OLD VETERAN OF WAR SAYS

Noyan Tapan
May 09 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 9, NOYAN TAPAN. On the occasion of the 62nd anniversary
of the victory in the Great Patriotic war and the 15th anniversary of
the liberation of Shushi, the Armenian prime minister Serge Sargsian
early on May 9 went to Erablur pantheon to pay a tribute of respect
to the memory of freedom fighters who died in the Karabakh war. On the
same day the prime minister visited Victory Park where he laid flowers
at Monument to Unknown Soldier. "Our new victories are conditioned
by the victory of our grandfathers," he said.

According to him, "the generations must remember with pride these
times full of feats."

The RA defence minister Mikael Harutyunian in his turn stated that
he considers it his duty "to retain the spirit and willingness that
our soldiers had during the Great Patriotic war and the liberation
of Shushi."

83-year-old veteran of the Great Patriotic war Saribek Aslanian told NT
correspondent that he was a 10th former when together with 8 classmates
he went to the front. His three brothers also fought, and none of
them came back from the war. In his words, the liberation of Shushi
was the continuation of their victory in the Great Patriotic war.

Within the framework of May 9 festivities, a chess tournament was
organized on the initiative of the Chess Federation of Armenia. Seven
GMs – Levon Aronian, Gabriel Sargsian, Arman Pashikian, Zaven
Andreasian, Ashot Anastasian, Artashes Minasian and Tigran Kocharian
played with about 100 pupils of Yerevan schools. According to the
executive director of the Chess Federation of Armenia Hrachik Tavadian,
the purpose of the event was to promote chess in our country.