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: APRIL 1-7, 2004
Unrest in Yerevan
On April 1, 2004 the General Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia launched criminal proceedings against the opposition bloc Justice.
The General Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that “representatives of the opposition bloc have been staging mostly unauthorized rallies in Yerevan and the marzes of Armenia, during which they called for seizure of the state authority by force and change of the constitutional order of the republic”.
On the same day President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan discussed the domestic political situation with the ambassadors of EU member states.
The Armenian presidential service said that “the parties agreed that the priority is to maintain stability in the country, which is the main guarantee of progress and Armenia’s development”.
The incident
An incident occurred on the Yerevan cableway on April 2: two carriages broke loose and one of them fell down from the height of 15 meters.
Photo: Photolure
8 people were inside the carriage when it fell down, two of them died on the spot. The rest of the passengers were taken to hospital with injuries of varying severity.
After that incident the cableway connecting Yerevan downtown with the Nork hill was dismantled.
Geghamyan vs. the president and Minister of Defense
On April 6, leader of National Unity Party of Armenia Artashes Geghamyan stated that the Armenian President and Defense Minister were personally responsible for the provocations that took place during the opposition rally in the centre of Yerevan on April 5.
During the rally, unknown individuals tried to throw eggs at Artashes Geghamyan. On seeing the journalists record the incident on camera, a group of 15-20 young people attacked the crews of the Armenian Public TV and private TV companies Kentron, Hai TV and Shant, as well as the journalists of Aravot and Haykakan Zhamanak newspapers. The TV and photographic cameras of the mentioned crews were smashed.
Artashes Geghamyan on April 6, 2004Photo: Photolure
Geghamyan said that “the plan of provocations was approved the previous day, at the meeting with Armenian President, and it was only the people’s restraint that prevented disorders”. According to him, the attackers were “bodyguards of some oligarchs.”
• 10 YEARS AGO: APRIL 1-7, 2009
Vashadze’s remark
On April 4, 2009 Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze announced that Georgia and Armenia were keen to “formalize strategic relations”.
“Georgia and Armenia will undoubtedly formalize strategic relations, I believe it will take place in the nearest future,” he said.
Grigol Vashadze in 2009Photo: REUTERS
According to Vashadze, strategic relations with Armenia would become an element of Georgia’s Foreign Policy Strategy.
Georgia and Armenia never proceeded to formalize the relations.
The meeting with Obama
On April 6, U.S. President Barack Obama met with Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers in Istanbul and urged them to complete the talks aimed at restoring ties between the two neighbors.
Barack Obama and Abdullah Gul in Istanbul on April 6, 2009Photo: REUTERS
The meeting took place on the margins of the official dinner at the Alliance of Civilizations.
• 5 YEARS AGO: APRIL 1-7, 2014
The “surprise” resignation
Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan resigned on April 3.
On the following day Minister of Economy Vahram Avanesyan said he was “surprised” by the resignation, while President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan announced that “there will be essential changes in the new government”.
Tigran Sargsyan and Serzh Sargsyan Photo: Photolure
“The new government should be able to ensure economic growth and continuity of reforms, and to recover our citizens’ trust toward its operation and reforms. These are the tasks that the new government should be able to address. I think there will be essential changes in the government. The current issues and fields should be reviewed anew,” he stated.
Sargsyan stressed that the Prime Minister’s resignation “was not forced”.
Ara Tadevosyan
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