Today we live in a society, which can not imagine life without expressing views on social media. Probably it does have certain advantages. Nevertheless, many participants of active discussions have already forgotten or do not even know about the developments, which unfolded in Armenia 5, 10 or 15 years ago.  

To fill the gap Mediamax presents 5/10/15 project, which introduce developments in Armenia 5, 10 and 15 years ago.

•    15 YEARS AGO: NOVEMBER 12-18, 2003

Harutyunyan in Istanbul

Chief of General Staff of Armenian Armed Forces, Colonel-General Mikhail Harutyunyan traveled to Istanbul on November 14 to take part in the VIP day of Allied Action 2003 exercise at the invitation of NATO Commander-in-Chief North Europe.

Mikhail Harutyunyan

Photo: Sputnik Armenia

It was the first visit of a high-ranking representative of the Armenian army to Turkey, which does not have diplomatic relations with Armenia.

Plane crash in Sudan

Four Armenian citizens died in a plane crash in the south of Sudan on November 17.

Crew commander Samvel Mkrtchyan, co-pilot Tigran Petrosyan, navigator Nshan Oganesyan and flight engineer Hovhannes Krunchoyan were all employees of the Main Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia (MDCA).

The An-12 air-freighter, which belonged to Sudanese Saria Airlines, exploded in the air while coming in for landing four miles away from the airport in the town of Wau.

The sentence

On November 18, businessman Armen Sargsyan was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment for organizing the murder of Armenian Public TV and Radio Council chairman Tigran Naghdalyan. The executioner of Naghdalyan’s murder, John Harutiunian was also sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment.

Armen Sargyan, the brother of former Armenian Prime Minister, pleaded not guilty.

Armen Sargsyan

 

He was released a few years later under an amnesty.

•    10 YEARS AGO: NOVEMBER 12-18, 2008

“A very big step forward”

On November 15 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described as “a very big step forward” the fact that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan fixed the existence of the Madrid document in Moscow Declaration.

“Each side has complaints about the Madrid document, especially regarding the parts that set forth a compromise vision for the remaining discords on three-four issues. But the fact, that both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides fixed the existence of the document at presidential level and the readiness to take it into account during negotiations, is a very big step forward,” said Lavrov.

“Through the other’s eyes”

On November 17 OSCE Minsk Group U.S. Co-chair Matthew Bryza said in Yerevan that “Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents are trying to see the process of Karabakh conflict settlement through the other’s eyes, and it contributes to increase of mutual respect between the two leaders”.

A letter of protest to Georgia

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated that the Armenian MFA demanded explanation from the Georgian Ambassador regarding the desecration of the graves in the territory of Armenian Surb Norashen Church in Tbilisi.

Surb Norashen Church in Tbilisi

 

Armenia was also preparing a letter of protest, Sargsyan said on November 18.

Tigran Sargsyan

 

“These actions contradict the atmosphere of communication between the presidents of our two countries,” said Sargsyan, adding that he hoped Georgia would respond to the incident operatively and settle the discontent in local Armenian Diaspora.

Ara Tadevosyan