Former governor of Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province and ex-MP Stepan Barseghyan passed away Monday at the age of 61, and after a long illness.

His wake will be held Wednesday in his hometown of Vardenis.

In 1995, Barseghyan was elected to the National Assembly. He was an MP from 1999 to 2003, too.

Between 2003 and 2006, he held the office of Governor of Gegharkunik Province.

And from 2006 to 2015, Stepan Barseghyan served Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration.

Also, he had participated in the defense of Armenia’s borders and in the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) War, and for which he was awarded with a military pistol, the Andranik Ozanian Medal of the Minister of Defense of Armenia, and the Mothers of Artsakh Medal.