DATE=11/3/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=ARMENIA / POLITICS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-255775
BYLINE=EVE CONANT
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Armenia's president, Robert Kocharian,
has appointed Aram Sarkisian as the country's new
prime minister. He replaces his brother, who was
assassinated last week along with several other
politicians. V-O-A Moscow correspondent Eve
Conant has this report.
TEXT: Armenia's new prime minister is the
brother of Vazgen Sarkisian, the popular former
prime minister who was killed last week when
nationalist gunmen broke into a parliament
meeting and opened fire on lawmakers.
Aram Sarkisian, age 38, is the director of a
large cement factory and had kept a low political
profile until now. His brother, a former defense
minister who was a favorite of the country's
military, was buried last Sunday along with the
Speaker of Armenia's parliament and six other
lawmakers.
The parliament murders shocked Armenians and and
left the country with two of its top three
leaders dead. After the killings, Armenian
President Robert Kocharian said his main task was
to rebuild the country's government.
Mr. Kocharian's spokesman, Bahe Gabrielen,
confirmed the appointment of the new prime
minister and also told V-O-A that Mr. Kocharian
is expected to meet with Russian President Boris
Yeltsin in Moscow Friday. He said the two leaders
will discuss finding a settlement to Armenia's
conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
/// ACT GABRIELEN ///
Russia's role as a mediator in the
conflict, as well as Armenian-Russian
relations, are topics that need permanent
updating.
///End Act///
Mr. Gabrielen also said that Armenia's parliament
had fully supported President Kocharian's choice
of Mr. Sarkisian as the new prime minister.
(Signed)
NEB/EC/GE/KL
03-Nov-1999 12:27 PM EDT (03-Nov-1999 1727 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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