Foreign minister says Yerevan will continue to develop allied relations with Russia

YEREVAN, January 20. / ARKA /. Armenia hopes for a quick completion of the investigation into the murder of the family in Gyumri and will continue to develop relations with Russia, foreign minister Edward Nalbandian said Tuesday, according to RIA Novosti.

"As for the tragedy in Gyumri, we very much hope that all the investigation procedures will be completed as soon as possible, and the guilty will be punished according to the law. This terrible crime has triggered a lot of emotion in Armenia.  We have a very strong alliance and strategic relations with Russia, and we will continue to strengthen our friendly relations,”  said Nalbandian at a press conference in Brussels.

On January 12, a family of seven people was murdered in Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri. The main suspect in the case, soldier Valery Permyakov from the Russian 102nd Military Base located in Gyumri, was detained the next day when trying to cross into neighboring Turkey. He later admitted to committing the homicide.

Permyakov killed the boy's two grandparents, their son and daughter, a daughter-in-law, and a 2-year-old granddaughter with bullets from his AK-74 rifle at their home. The attacker used a bayonet to try to kill Seryozha who was in the cradle. The boy died yesterday at a Yerevan hospital.

A spokesman for Russian Investigative Committee, Vladimir Markin said in a statement that the chief of Russian Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin and his Armenian counterpart Aghvan Hovsepyan are overseeing a joint investigation into the murder. Earlier Bastrykin said that the trial of the murderer will be public and in Armenia. -0-