RA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN PRESENTED MEDALS AND DECORATIONS TO A NUMBER OF AIRMEN WHO STOOD OUT BY THEIR DEDICATED WORK ON THE DAYS OF THE 1988 EARTHQUAKE

W ednesday, 14 January 2009

On the 20th anniversary of the Spitak earthquake, RA Prime Minister’s
commemorative medals were handed in to chief adviser of Hayk
air-carrier Seyran Vantzyan, commander of MI-8 helicopter Yurik
Gasparyan, pilot-instructor Rafik Mehrabyan, supervisor of Armavia
air-carrier directorate headquarters Mikhail Andreasyan, 2nd pilot
of A-319 Gegham Gabrielyan.

Commander of MI-8 helicopter Mushegh Antonyan, flight mechanics Garnik
Danielyan, Zhora Minasyan, Yosif Mikhailyan, commander of YAK-40 Ararat
Dallakyan, 2nd pilot Alexander Hovhannisyan and flight mechanic Zhora
Davtyan were rewarded posthumously.

Aviation veterans Vardkes Mnatzakanyan, Albert Jivaryan, Vardan
Asatryan, Khachatur Petikyan and Suren Vardanyan were presented with
RA Prime Minister’s letters of appreciation and valuable gifts.

Addressing the guests, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said "We
appreciate our airmen’s efforts and we cannot forget what they have
done over the past 20 years, including their participation in the
disaster zone rehabilitation works and their invaluable contribution
to the fight for Artsakh’s freedom. It is our duty to pay tribute to
our pilots. Today I would like to mention those who have participated
in the restoration of the disaster zone. Not long ago, we marked the
20th anniversary of the 1988 earthquake which claimed tens of thousands
of human lives. You may be aware that government commission had been
established to that effect under RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s high
patronage and any action is held under His high patronage, inclusive
of today’s meeting which is meant to appreciate the work done 20
years ago. We are well aware that you had to work under pressure
and it would have been unfair if the State had failed to reward our
pilots. Today I wish to thank you for your dedicated work."

In attendance of the meeting, public figure and publicist Zori Balayan
thanked the Prime Minister and the Government on behalf of the rewarded
airmen for such a high appreciation of our pilots’ efforts. He said
to have been a witness of those heroic deeds accomplished by our
pilots during both the Spitak earthquake and the victorious war of
Artsakh. "Everybody must endeavor towards perpetuating these feats
of arms for they are part of our people’s patrimony," he said.

In conclusion, once again Tigran Sargsyan thanked the guests for their
dedicated work and wished them a Happy New Year and a Merry Christmas.