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| rdfs:comment | - Vazgen Sargsyan (, ) (5 March 195927 October 1999) was the frist Defence Minister of Armenia from 1991 to 1992 and then from 1995 to 1999. He served as Armenia's Prime Minister from June until his assassination on 27 October 1999. Sargsyan joined the movement for the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia in the late 1980s and led the Armenian volunteers during the early clashes with the Azerbaijanis. Sargsyan became the head of the Defence Committee of the Armenian Parliament in 1990 and, soon after Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union in September 1991, he was appointed Defence Minister of Armenia by President Levon Ter-Petrosyan. Sargsyan was the main commander of the Armenian forces during the Nagorno-Karabakh War, which escalated into a full-scale war by 1992. In August
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| term start | - 1991-12-05
- 1992-10-20
- 1995-07-25
- 1999-06-11
- July 1993
- June 1990
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| Birth Place | - Ararat, Armenia SSR, Soviet Union
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| term end | - 1991-12-05
- 1992-10-20
- 1993-03-05
- 1995-07-25
- 1999-06-11
- 1999-10-27
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| Source | - --09-23
- —Vazgen Sargsyan
- —Vazgen Sargsyan, May 1999
- —Vicken Cheterian
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| Quote | - "Today the economic development of Armenia is as important as victory in the war was yesterday. Our battle has moved from the field of blood and heroism, to the economic field."
- "From the very beginning there was a wrong impression that Yerkrapah can do nothing–but fight, however—time has shown that Yerkrapah can not only perform feats on battlefields—but also have a say in peaceful development."
- "By calling for major concessions on Karabakh, Ter-Petrosyan was antagonizing the last forces that supported his rule, the army and the Karabakh elite, at a time when his popularity within the Armenian society was at its lowest."
- "The public doesn't really know me. Only people in my inner circle know me well. Others identify me by the beard, always mad, sweaty and that is today's image. People don't understand me, they are scared of me."
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| Signature | - Vazgen Sargsyan siganture.png
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| abstract | - Vazgen Sargsyan (, ) (5 March 195927 October 1999) was the frist Defence Minister of Armenia from 1991 to 1992 and then from 1995 to 1999. He served as Armenia's Prime Minister from June until his assassination on 27 October 1999. Sargsyan joined the movement for the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia in the late 1980s and led the Armenian volunteers during the early clashes with the Azerbaijanis. Sargsyan became the head of the Defence Committee of the Armenian Parliament in 1990 and, soon after Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union in September 1991, he was appointed Defence Minister of Armenia by President Levon Ter-Petrosyan. Sargsyan was the main commander of the Armenian forces during the Nagorno-Karabakh War, which escalated into a full-scale war by 1992. In August 1992, Sargsyan organized a volunteer battalion, which turned the course of the war in favor of the Armenian side. From 1992 to 1995, he served in different positions responsible for regulating the military operations in the war area. A ceasefire was reached in 1994, ending the war with an Armenian victory and de facto unification of Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia. From 1995 to 1999, Sargsyan served as Defence Minister, finishing the establishment of the Armed Forces of Armenia. He continuously supported President Ter-Petrosyan to retain power by using his influence in elections and suppression of opposition. However, this changed in February 1998, when Sargsyan forced Ter-Petrosyan out of office due to disagreements over the settlement policies of Nagorno-Karabakh. With Sargsyan's support, Robert Kocharyan was elected president in March 1998. Their relations soon deteriorated and, by early 1999, Vazgen Sargsyan merged Yerkrapah, the influential group of the Nagorno-Karabakh war veterans, into the Republican Party of Armenia to form a political base in the parliament. Sargsyan then joined Armenia's former Soviet leader Karen Demirchyan, forming an alliance prior to the parliamentary election. Their Unity bloc and its sympathizers won a majority to the National Assembly in the 30 May 1999 election. Sargsyan became the Prime Minister, emerging as the de facto decision-maker in Armenia, more powerful than President Kocharyan. Five months later, Vazgen Sargsyan, along with Demirchyan and several others, was assassinated in the Armenian parliament shooting on 27 October 1999. The perpetrators were sentenced to life in prison. However, the distrust toward the trial process gave birth to a number of conspiracy theories. Some experts and politicians argued that their assassination was masterminded by President Kocharyan and National Security Minister Serzh Sargsyan. Others have suspected the possible involvement of Russia, the ARF or the Western powers in the shooting. Today, Sargsyan is widely recognized as a national hero and seen as the founder of the Armenian Army, which concluded a victorious war with Azerbaijan over the Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh region. He made significant contributions to the establishment of an independent Armenian state and ensuring its security. Sargsyan was awarded the highest titles of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh—National Hero of Armenia and Hero of Artsakh. Streets, parks, the Yerevan military academy and the Republican Stadium are named after him, and numerous statues have been erected in his memory.
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