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: FEBRUARY 18-24, 2004

“Independence has its cost”

On February 18 Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said that the U.S. Administration’s intention to violate the parity in the volumes of military aid to Azerbaijan and Armenia could be a result of Yerevan’s independent policy.

“We pursued rather independent policy concerning both the war in Iraq and a number of other issues. Independence has its cost,” Kocharyan told in the interview to Armenian TV channels. 

Kadyrov senior’s remark on the Armenian Genocide

On February 23, the 60th anniversary of Chechen and Ingush people’s deportation, President of Chechnya Akhmad Kadyrov made an unexpected remark about the Armenian Genocide.

Akhmad Kadyrov

Photo: REUTERS

“Nobody thinks of forgetting the Holocaust or the Genocide of Armenians in Turkey, so why should the Chechens forget a national tragedy when they are all victims of it?” he said.

The murder of Gurgen Margaryan

On February 19, Armenian army lieutenant, 26-year-old Gurgen Margaryan, who was studying English at Hungarian National Defense Institute under NATO Partnership for Peace programme, was brutally murdered by Azerbaijani senior lieutenant Ramil Safarov, who attended the same course.

Safarov hacked him to death at 5 a.m. in his sleep and attempted an attack on another Armenian officer, which was thwarted.

Armenian Defense Ministry declared that “this atrocious murder is the direct consequence of Azerbaijan’s policy aimed at kindling hatred towards the Armenian people”.

Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement, which read in particular:

“This crime is a logical consequence of the anti-Armenian hysteria of recent years and militarist propaganda of the last few months, unleashed by the authorities of Azerbaijan, which consistently infects the entire Azeri society. Evidently, this state policy has crossed the line that would stop official representatives of Azerbaijan abroad from committing cold-blooded murder.”

Gurgen Margaryan’s grave at Erablur military cemetery

Photo: Photolure

On February 23, Head of Armenian Delegation to NATO, Ambassador Vigen Chitechyan met NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer in Brussels. NATO Secretary General condemned the cruel murder of the Armenian officer and asked Ambassador Chitechyan to pass on his sincere condolences to the family of Gurgen Margaryan, the killed lieutenant.

Vigen Chitechyan handed over to Jaap de Hoop Scheffer the letter from Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan, which highlighted that the actions of the Azerbaijani officers were “expected in certain sense, as it is the consequence of the militant statements coming from the old and new authorities of Azerbaijan”.

Oskanyan stressed that “Armenia has always considered NATO’s Partnership for Peace program an effective format to solve many a problem, including the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan”. The Foreign Minister added that unfortunately, Azerbaijan did not share Armenia’s approach.

“People are more important to me than territories”

On February 23, Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Terry Davis visited Stepanakert and met President of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Arkady Ghukasyan.

The PACE rapporteur was very concerned about the unsolved problem of refugees, which negatively affected all nations in the region. “In order to avoid the repetition of the tragedy, the sides need to pay more attention to the problem of refugees. It is a constituent part of the Karabakh conflict,” said Davis.

Terry Davis in 2014

Photo: REUTERS

Before his meeting with Arkady Ghukasyan, Terry Davis spoke with Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan in Shushi. Davis highlighted it was very important for him to meet with the people and learn about their problems. “People are more important to me than territories,” he stressed.

•    10 YEARS AGO: FEBRUARY 18-24,  2009

Defense Ministry refutes ANC claims

On February 19 Armenian Ministry of Defense refuted the claims of oppositional Armenian National Congress (ANC) that the Armenian army participated in dispersal of the oppositional rally on March 1-2, 2008 and entered the capital before the announcement of emergency situation.

The ministry’s press service insisted that the subdivisions of the army were ordered not to use force and they neither used weapons nor participated in any actions to reestablish the public order.

“These actions were realized by subdivisions of the police, including the military police. They wear the same uniform as army soldiers and officers, which is why some people wrongly assume that the army participated in reestablishment of the public order,” the press service said in a statement.

•    5 YEARS AGO: FEBRUARY 18-24, 2014

Use the “legend of Vardanyan”

On February 21, 2014 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, after which he said that “Armenia can afford the luxury of appoint a living legend the Minister of Sport”.

Serzh Sargsyan on February 21, 2014

Photo: President’s press service

“I believe you know that the priority task for you is to use the legend of Yuri Vardanyan. Let no one assume that I was thinking of Vardanyan’s great ability for organization when I offered him the job. I offered this living legend the position of the minister so that he takes that role too. How many of you visited at least one school with this man? How many times has he met with youngsters last year? How many times did he go out in the street and tell children to go into sports to be like him? Who is going to do all that? You must do it, the deputy ministers, the head of the apparatus. I will not censure you for writing fewer references, but if you neglect the young people who might walk in Vardanyan’s steps, that will be a notable failure,” said Serzh Sargsyan.

“The reform that secures Armenia’s future”

On February 21 Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said that the introduction of mandatory accumulative pension system “is a reform that secures Armenia's future”.

Tigran Sargsyan on February 21, 2014

Photo: Photolure

“We should demonstrate a political will. What does it mean? If there is an issue in any field, our opponents say: “Mr. Prime Minister, demonstrate political will and address the issue”. What does it mean? There is no political will without belief. Our political team headed by the President has the belief that this is a right reform, one that ensures Armenia's future, changes the mentality and forms civil society and responsible citizen,” said Sargsyan.

Ara Tadevosyan