ARMENPRESS
ARMENIAN PM CONGRATULATES RUSSIAN ARMENIAN SCIENTIST
YEREVAN, JANUARY 14, ARMENPRESS: Prime Minister
Serzh Sarkisian sent a congratulatory message to
Arthur Chilingarov on his having been conferred upon
the title of Hero of Russia, which reads as follows,
in particular:
"Dear Arthur Nikolayevich, Please accept my
heartfelt congratulations on your conferment upon the
high title of Hero of Russia, which in fact symbolizes
the appreciation of your significant contribution to
the exploration and mastering of the Arctic.
Having been granted the title of Hero for the
second time at an interval of twenty years, you keep
on acting not only as a polar explorer, but also as a
statesman and a public figure. Your determination and
heroism set a good example to the rising generation.
Our pleasure is a twofold one for the activities
and the bravery of our compatriot were assessed at
their true value, and we are sincerely proud of your
achievements.
I wish you, Dear Arthur Nikolayevich, robust health
and further success in your multifaceted activity."
Arthur Chilingarov was among three other Russian
scientists whom Russian president Vladimir Putin
granted "hero" awards for backing Russia’s claim to a
mountain range under the Arctic Ocean that is believed
to contain huge oil and gas reserves.
The scientists planted a Russian flag under the
North Pole ice in August as part of an Arctic
expedition that heated up the controversy over an area
that a U.S. study suggests may contain as much as 25
percent of the world’s undiscovered oil and gas.
Russia is one of several countries that have laid
claims to the area.
Chilingarov, a renowned polar scientist, was named
a Hero of the Soviet Union in the 1980s after leading
an expedition aboard a research vessel that was
trapped for a time in Antarctic sea ice.
From: Baghdasarian