Gyumri killing should not be over-politicized - Armenian defense minister
YEREVAN. Jan 13 (Interfax) - The killing of six people in the Armenian city of Gyumri, of which Russian military serviceman Valery Permyakov is suspected, should not be over-politicized, says Armenian Defense Minister Seiran Oganian.
"I am sorry and would like to express my deep condolences to the relatives of those killed. Russian First Deputy Defense Minister Arkady Bakhnin is also here. The Russian defense minister and his deputies pointed out in conversations with me that consistent legal work is important. The investigation will find everything out, and those responsible will be punished," Oganian told journalists on Tuesday.
"However, I believe it would be wrong to politicize this incident and look for signs of deterioration in Armenian-Russian relations. We have quite a high level of political relations with Russia, and our cooperation in the military field is also at a high level," he said.
Six people, members of the same family, including a two-year-old child, were killed in Gyumri in northern Armenia on January 12. A six-month-old child was injured and hospitalized in critical condition. Permyakov, a serviceman from the 102nd Russian Military Base, has been detained on suspicion of committing the killings.
Armenian police deputy chief Unan Pogosian said on Tuesday that Permyakov had confessed to the murder, although his motives were still unknown.