Author: Elizabeth Jabejian

SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF HRANT DINK’S MURDER MARKED IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan

Jan 19, 2009

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The second
anniversary of murder of Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of the Agos
newspaper published in Turkey, was marked on January 19 in Yerevan. The
staff of the RA Ministry of Diaspora led by Minister Hranush Hakobian
visiting Yerevan Memorial of Armenian Genocide Victims paid a tribute
of respect to H. Dink’s memory.

"Today the mankind of the world, including the Armenians of the
Diaspora, mourn over Hrant Dink’s martyr. He lived his life as
a peculiar symbol, a symbol of independence, freedom, democracy,
tolerance. All this was not forgiven by extremists," the Minister
said in her interview to journalists.

At the same time she said that H. Dink’s martyr became a reason for the
Turkish and Armenian peoples’ revolt. "With his death he also helped to
expand the struggle for democracy and freedom," H. Hakobian emphasized.

The Armenian-Russian Cossack Union and One and a Half Million +1
NGOs organized a march on the occasion of the second anniversary
of H. Dink’s murder. According to the organizers, the march was
organized to exclude such infringements on the Armenians next time. The
Armenian-Russian Cossack Union is going to apply to the RA government
to erect a monument to H. Dink in Armenia with its assistance.

ARMENIA: GOVERNMENT GEARS UP FOR POSSIBLE DEAL WITH AZERBAIJAN ON KARABAKH
Emil Danielyan

EurasiaNet
Dec 23 2008
NY

With international efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
gaining fresh momentum, Armenia’s leadership appears to be preparing
ground for a possible breakthrough in its long-running negotiations
with Azerbaijan. It has pushed through parliament an amendment paving
the way for a nationwide referendum on the issue reportedly promised
by President Serzh Sargsyan.

The move came amid increasingly vocal domestic opposition to a
framework Armenian-Azerbaijani peace accord proposed by international
mediators. The Sargsyan administration faces an uphill battle in
overcoming opposition from nationalist groups in and outside the
Armenian government as well, as the ethnic Armenian leadership of
Nagorno-Karabakh.

The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Helsinki
on December 3 for more talks on the basic principles of a Karabakh
settlement proposed by a team of US, Russian and French mediators
co-chairing the OSCE’s so-called Minsk Group. In a joint statement
issued the next day, Foreign Ministers Sergei Lavrov of Russia and
Bernard Kouchner of France and US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel
Fried urged the conflicting parties to finalize those principles
"in coming months."

They also emphasized the "positive momentum" which they said was
established by Sargsyan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev during
their most recent meeting — hosted by Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev outside
Moscow on November 2. Aliyev and Sargsyan issued a joint declaration
there pledging to "intensify further steps in the negotiating
process." The mediators hope that they will meet again soon to close
remaining gaps. Aides to the two presidents have said that the next
Armenian-Azerbaijani summit would likely take place early next year.

Bernard Fassier, France’s chief Nagorno-Karabakh negotiator, told RFERL
on December 9 that Lavrov, Kouchner and Fried presented to Baku and
Yerevan a "technical document" that puts a settlement within reach
by next summer. The chief stumbling blocks to date have centered on
details of a proposed referendum on self-determination in Karabakh,
and a timetable for the liberation of at least six of the seven
Azerbaijani districts around the disputed enclave that were fully or
partly occupied by Armenian forces during the 1991-1994 war.

Meeting with leaders of nearly 50 Armenian political parties behind
the closed doors on November 19, Sargsyan reportedly indicated that an
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace accord is still not imminent. According to
some participants of that meeting, he also promised to put a possible
peace deal to a popular vote.

Two weeks later, Armenia’s parliament passed a government-drafted
amendment to an Armenian law on referendums that enables the government
to hold non-binding plebiscites on any policy issue. Prior to passage
of the amendment, parliament and the president had responsibility
for calling referendums, and authorities were obliged to abide by
their results.

Opposition politicians and independent observers see a direct
link between the adopted amendment and the Karabakh peace
process. Government officials and pro-presidential MPs have not ruled
out of the conduct of a Karabakh-related referendum in Armenia in
the coming months.

A senior member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF,
also known as the Dashnak Party), a nationalist party represented
in Sargsyan’s coalition government, asserted at a December 9 news
conference that the signing of a framework agreement on Karabakh in
early 2009 is "not unlikely." Giro Manoyan also reaffirmed the ARF’s
opposition to the mediators’ existing peace proposals that seem to
allow for continued Armenian control over Karabakh. "What we wanted in
1988 (at the start of a popular movement for Karabakh’s unification
with Armenia) can not be a basis for today because a lot has changed
since then," he said. "Azerbaijan is chiefly responsible for that and
it must pay a price." Manoyan and many other nationalists generally
would no longer be satisfied with the formalization of Karabakh’s
separation from Azerbaijan. Now, they also want Armenia to keep much
of what is now occupied Azerbaijani territory.

Another ARF leader, deputy parliamentary speaker Hrayr Karapetian,
insisted that the Armenian side should be happy with the Karabakh
status quo and that Azerbaijan will not attempt to win back its lost
territories by force in the foreseeable future. "If this situation
continues for 10 or 20 years, we will still be in a winning position,"
Karapetian told the Yerevan newspaper Pakagits in an interview
published on December 18.

Hard-line opposition groups, though, are even more vocal in
opposing any territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. Like the
ARF, they believe that the occupied Azerbaijani districts are so
vital for Armenia’s security that they must not be traded even for
international recognition of Karabakh’s secession from Azerbaijan. As
talk of a Karabakh breakthrough intensified in late October, a group
of opposition politicians and intellectuals launched a new movement
called Miatsum (Unification) to campaign against the return of what
they call "liberated territories."

"If we cede any of those lands, we will disrupt the security system
that has served us well for the past 15 years and will make another war
inevitable," Zaruhi Postanjian, a Miatsum leader and parliament deputy
from the opposition Heritage party, told EurasiaNet. "Even if the
international community recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence."

Significantly, government officials in Karabakh seem to share this
view, raising more questions about Yerevan’s ability and willingness to
implement the peace formula currently on the table. Armenian Foreign
Minister Eduard Nalbandian visited the Karabakh capital Stepanakert
on December 19 to meet with the self-proclaimed republic’s president,
Bako Sahakian. An Armenian Foreign Ministry statement said Nalbandian
briefed Sahakian on details of the Helsinki talks and discussed with
the Karabakh leader other "recent developments" in the negotiating
process. Sahakian’s office also gave few details of the talks, saying
only that the two men discussed "the current phase of the Karabakh
conflict resolution." Incidentally, President Sargsyan twice traveled
to Karabakh shortly before and after his last encounter with Aliyev.

The secretary of Sargsyan’s National Security Council, Artur
Baghdasarian, has been a rare conciliatory voice in the Armenian public
discourse on Karabakh dominated by outspoken nationalist figures. In a
December 19 interview with the newspaper Iravunk de facto, Baghdasarian
again made a case for mutual compromise with Azerbaijan, saying
that it would give Armenia "unique opportunities for political and
economic development." He said the Armenian leadership will not
accept any agreement that stops short of legitimizing Karabakh’s
independence or unification with Armenia and giving the Karabakh
Armenians "international security guarantees."

Baghdasarian, whose Country of Law Party is also a junior partner in
Armenia’s ruling coalition, further confirmed Sargsyan’s reported
referendum pledge. "God willing, we will arrive at a mutually
acceptable variant of settlement that the authorities will present
to the people’s judgment," he said.

Editor’s Note: Emil Danielyan is a Yerevan-based journalist and
political analyst.

President of Armenia attended the unofficial summit of Heads of State
in Kazakhstan

armradio.am
20.12.2008 12:33

At the invitation of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev,
the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan visited Kazakhstan to
participate in the unofficial summit of the Heads of State of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization.

The summit, attended by the Presidents of Armenia, the Russian
Federation, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, was held at the
Shuchini-Borovi winter resort near Kokchetau town.

Prior to the opening of the unofficial summit, President Serzh Sargsyan
had a short meeting with the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan
Nazarbaev. At the meeting the two sides hailed the current high level
of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction with the level of the
political dialogue. The Presidents of the two states underscored the
role of the Armenian-Kazakh Diaspora in strengthening the bilateral
relations.

Serzh Sargsyan and Nursultan Nazarbaev stressed the importance of
further developing the economic relations, noting that the envisaged
new railroads would promote and foster the growth of the trade
turnover.

The unofficial summit of the Heads of state started shortly after the
meeting.

The agenda of the summit comprised issues related to the cooperation in
the framework of the CSTO and the prospects of the organization, global
financial crisis, as well as issues related to the integration
processes in the CIS area.

The President of Armenia, Chairman of the CSTO Council of the Heads of
State, Serzh Sargsyan welcomed the idea to convene the unofficial
summit and noted that the agenda includes issues which were significant
for Armenia. The participants to the summit concurred that interaction
in this format provides a good opportunity to look at the agenda issues
from different points of view and to discuss a wide range of topics.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

INTERNATIONAL PRESS COVERAGE
ON HIS HOLINESS ARAM I’S VISIT TO THE VATICAN

His Holiness Aram I’s recent visit to the Vatican on November 23-27 received
a broad coverage both in the international and local press. Various news
agencies consistently reported on the issues His Holiness discussed in the
Vatican during his meeting with the Pope and other senior officials.

In addition to international media, the Turkish press also covered the
Pontiff’s visit, enticed clearly by his statements concerning the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

In further media coverage of the visit, the Catholicosate of Cilicia’s
Ecumenical and Communications officers, Bishop Nareg Alemezian and V. Rev.
Fr. Krikor Chiftjian appeared on the Roman "Telepace" TV on November 28
talking about the new potential for cooperation between the two churches and
particularly the Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Vatican that the Pontiff’s
official visit gave rise to. Despite the theological, ecclesiological, and
confessional differences, the need for unreserved cooperation between the
two churches was emphasized for the purpose of overcoming the challenges
faced by the present-day society.

Bishop Nareg and Father Chiftjian were also hosted by Radio Vatican’s news
service to make an assessment of His Holiness’s official visit.

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
31 Moscovian Street
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 53.69.13
Fax: (+374 – 10) 53.26.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:

11 November 2008

Heritage Executive Board’s Statement on the Meiendorf Declaration

Yerevan–The Heritage Party finds that the declaration signed on November 2,
2008 at the Meiendorf Castle outside Moscow by the Armenian president Serzh
Sargsyan, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, and Russian president Dmitry
Medvedev undermines the mission to maintain peace, bring Karabagh’s
decolonization process to fruition, and achieve international recognition
for its independence.

1. Heritage believes that the Meiendorf Declaration is only the latest
manifestation of the trend toward protecting the interests of the
superpowers at the cost of the national interests of Armenia and Mountainous
Karabagh. This trend previously was championed by the West, but now enjoys
the subscription also of Russia, which has since 2002 linked its national
security with Armenia’s within the context of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO). This trend became all the more official with the
declaration on "Friendship and Strategic Partnership between the Republic of
Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation," which the Azerbaijani and Russian
presidents signed in Baku on July 3. This document specifically noted that
"Russia and Azerbaijan deem necessary the Mountainous Karabagh conflict’s
quick resolution based on the universally recognized norms and precepts of
international law and, first and foremost, on the basis of securing and
respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, the
invariability of boundaries, and also based on the relevant UN Security
Council resolutions and OSCE decisions. The sides will assist in the speedy,
voluntary, and safe return of the refugees and people who were displaced as
a consequence of the conflict." It is disturbing that the formulations made
in the Baku accord have been transferred, with mere touch-ups, to the
Meiendorf Declaration.

2. In actual fact, the signing of the Meiendorf Declaration also extorted
official Yerevan’s positive outlook on the Madrid Principles, which formally
were presented to the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents on November 29,
2007. The bodies politic of Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh, by contrast,
are to date uninformed of their content. The Heritage Party is seriously
concerned that the precepts fixed in this document do not guarantee the just
resolution of the Karabagh conflict. How could they be, when Armenia’s
authorities have signed the agreement without asking for the support of the
people of Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh? The proposed succession–"firstly
the elimination of the consequences of the conflict and, only after that,
the determination of Karabagh’s status"–of the Madrid principles is the
best proof that the superpowers which compete in this region have no
interest in legitimizing the statehood of Karabagh. On the contrary, the
superpowers are primed to continue to wield their influence and play their
energy games. This unfortunate turn of events unfolds precisely at the time
when the recognition of Karabagh’s status is a priority issue for the
Armenian and Karabagh sides. The Madrid Principles, the contents of which we
were able to ascertain through non-official channels, are unacceptable to
the Heritage Party. No Armenian government should accept them as a
foundation for talks. Heritage believes that the unilateral return of
territories and refugees, as well as the delay in determining the status of
Mountainous Karabagh, are unacceptable. Heritage firmly condemns the
acceptance of those principles by the Armenian authorities, and warns of the
beginnings of irreversible processes which run counter to the interests of
Armenia and the Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR).

3. The current Karabagh talks in reality have no connection whatsoever with
securing a just settlement, achieving stabilitity and peace in the region,
and fostering the much-anticipated reconciliation of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani people. Moreover, Mountainous Karabagh’s absence from the talks
has become for all the superpowers a currency of "payment" and "repayment"
for receiving Azerbaijan’s support for new energy routes. Consequently, the
Heritage party can neither approve of the Meiendorf Declaration, nor trust
that it will bring about the "normalizing of the situation in South Caucasus
and establishing an environment of peace and security in the region" and
begetting "conditions for carrying out measures toward consolidating peace."
Heritage does not have faith in the real and immediate intentions of
official Moscow–which has become the architect of this declaration–and of
official Brussels, Washington, and Paris–which have approved this document.
NATO, the United States, and France know all too well that the fragile peace
maintained in the region since 1994 is the result of a trilateral agreement
which, likewise by Russian mediation, was signed among the official
representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Mountainous Karabagh, and that
the latter not only is the beneficiary of regional security but also the
protector of regional peace.

4. It is apparent from the Meiendorf Declaration, which enjoys the signature
of only one country from the OSCE Minsk Group’s co-chairs, that Russia, the
signator, seeks to create parallel platforms for high-level and lower-level
"direct talks" between Armenia and Azerbaijan, through which it will
gradually redener obsolete the format of the Minsk Group. From its
long-standing criticisms of the OSCE to its formal letter sent to the
organization last year, Azerbaijan openly shares this objective. And now
Turkey, too, has joined Russia and Azerbaijan, which have reached a silent
consensus on the basis of this interest. The official, societal, and
political circles of Armenia have stated numerous times that the OSCE is the
best format for resolving the problem and that the talks again must include
Mountainous Karabagh as a full and equal side to the settlement discussions.
Heritage deplores the fact that Armenia’s administration continually
contributes to the distortion of those formats, and affirms that this is a
result of myopic policy–which still is conducted with respect to the
Karabagh question–including the refusal to consider Heritage’s draft law
formally to recognize the independence of MKR.

5. The Heritage Party calls on the authorities of Armenia to acknowledge the
aforesaid perils and to transfer the discussion of and solution to the
problem back into the officially authorized format–that is, the Minsk Group
and the juridical platform–to secure the real conflicting sides’
participation to the talks, and to decipher the Madrid Principles and offer
them for broad public discussion.

Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land. Its
central office is located at 31 Moscovian Street, Yerevan 0002, Armenia,
with telephone contact at (374-10) 536.913, fax at (374-10) 532.697, email
at [email protected] or [email protected], and website at

NKR LEADER CONGRATULATED OBAMA ON ELECTION AS U.S. PRESIDENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.11.2008 17:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On 6 November, President of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic Bako Sahakyan sent a congratulatory address to President-elect
of the United States of America Barack Obama.

The message reads as follows:

"On behalf of the people and authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic I cordially congratulate You on the occasion of being elected
as the 44th President of the United States of America. Your victory
is an epoch-making event both in American history and world democracy.

Artsakh rates highly the role of the United States in peaceful
settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict and the annual
financial assistance provided by the U.S. to the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic.

I am confident that with Your interest and support in solving issues
the Armenian people face, under the new Administration the ties
between our countries will become much stronger and more diversified.

I congratulate You once again and wish peace, happiness, robust health
and prosperity to You and all your relatives and friends."

ARMENIA HAS NEVER APPEALED TO ANY COUNTRY

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
28 Oct 2008
Armenia

To Realize Mediation Mission

President Serge Sargsyan’s interview given to the Public TV.

"Mr. President the discussions on the settlement of Karabakh
conflict have become very active – different assessments, different
predictions. At what stage is the settlement of the conflict?"

"The thing is, after a long-term passiveness the process of the
settlement of Karabakh conflict has entered an active stage. This
fact is conditioned by at least two important circumstances: firstly
– presidential elections were held both in Armenia and in Azerbaijan
and secondly – the famous events that took place in the region over
again proved that there is no military option for the settlement of
the conflict.

The settlement of Karabakh conflict is possible only in case
Azerbaijan recognizes the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh
to self-determination, if Nagorno Karabakh has a land border with
the Republic of Armenia and if the international organizations and
the progressive countries guarantee the security of the people of
Nagorno Karabakh.

In my view that activeness, public discussions are really helpful and
I strongly believe that we will enter a period of much more active
public discussions. The discussions are always helpful, but they must
be based on only one interest, the interest of Armenian people.

We have sacrificed a lot for the settlement of Karabakh conflict
and can’t afford closing our eyes on the speculations of certain
facts. We are solving a precious issue. We are solving a very important
historical issue and those who seek a benefit from this historical
issue are simply immoral."

"Mr. President, judging from the recent developments the activeness
of the other players in the region becomes perceptible. Particularly
the initiative of the Russian President, D. Medvedev, of the meeting
between the three Presidents and the announcement made by A. Gyul
saying that you were the first to ask for his help in the settlement
process. How would you comment on this?"

"I must say that the process of the settlement of Karabakh conflict
passes in the framework of OSCE Minsk Group, based on "Madrid
principles". I have said many times and I would like to repeat that
there are no other mediators, other than OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen
and the confusion that some people are trying to create doesn’t
support us.

I must repeat OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen are the only mediators,
Armenia has never appealed to any country to realize mediation mission.

Russia is one of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen countries and the
invitation made by D. Medvedev and his activeness in this issue is
quite normal.

As regards the commentary on the announcement made by Abdullah Gyul,
I must firstly say that, maybe you have noticed that I don’t like
commenting on the announcements made by other political figures,
especially because our press usually publishes sections cut from the
whole context.

In reality OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen are the only mediators,
but we still don’t refuse any assistance. I believe Turkey can lend
a hand in the process of the settlement of Karabakh conflict and
they do so. President Gyul’s visit to Armenia, the negotiations
between Armenia and Turkey are good examples for the settlement of
tough issues. I believe if Turkey opens its borders with Armenia and
establishes diplomatic relations with us, it will greatly help the
settlement of Karabakh conflict.

U.S. NOT LIKELY TO WELCOME TURKEY AS MEDIATOR BETWEEN ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.09.2008 14:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. hopes that the OSCE Minsk Group will
continue talks in the operating format, U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan
Ann Derse told reporters on Friday.

"Standing for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, the United States
will continue activities in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group,"
she said, adding that Co-chair Matt Bryza is planning a visit to
Azerbaijan. "It’s a good time to resolve the Karabakh conflict,
in compliance with the international law and within territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan," she said, Trend Azeri news agency reports.

Earlier, Turkish President Abdullah Gul announced his intention
to mediate between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents. "The
OSCE Minsk Group failed to produce effect during 17 years of its
mediation. Turkey-Armenia and Azerbaijan-Armenia issues are not
only bilateral but also territorial. The situation in the region has
changed. Resolution of conflicts will lead to political and economic
stability," he said.

STEPAN SAFARIAN AFFIRMS THAT ARFD TRIES TO CONTRIBUTE TO ROBERT KOCHARIAN’S RETURN TO BIG POLITICS

Noyan Tapan

Se p 2, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, NOYAN TAPAN. According to Gagik Minasian, a
member of the Board of the Republican Party of Armenia, the relative
peace has been broken in the South Caucasus after August 8, and the
instability that emerged as a result of it in the region can last
very long. As he stated at the September 2 dispute, the uncertainty
will go on until the issue of Georgia’s membership to NATO becomes
clear. The RPA figure also said that the humanitarian crisis in the
region and the prospect of warming of Armenian-Turkish relations make
realistic the opening of the Kars-Gyumri railway.

Stepan Safarian, a member of the Board of the Zharangutiun (Heritage)
party, affirmed that Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s possible visit
to Armenia shoult not yet make RA authorities hope that the contacts
between the two countries will improve. "We welcome Serzh Sargsyan’s
invitation to A. Gul as a precedent, as an attempt. However, if I
were the RA authorities, I would not have much hopes connected with
Turkish President’s visit," A. Safarian said.

Touching upon the rally of ARFD to take place in the evening the same
day, the Zharangutiun representative said that though the rally is
dedicated to the Artsakh independence day, nevertheless, A. Gul’s
visit will be touched upon during the rally.

According to S. Safarian, lately it is obvious that former President
Robert Kocharian strives for returning to big politics, and ARFD
tries to contribute to it. "Armenian-Turkish relations were frozen
under R. Kocharian and S. Sargsyan has changed serious accents
in the RA foreign policy, and it contradicts ARFD’s principles,"
S. Safarian said.

PRESIDENT OF FOOTBALL FEDERATION OF ARMENIA: I EXPECT ONLY VICTORY IN UPCOMING MATCH AGAINST TURKEY

arminfo
2008-09-02 16:25:00

ArmInfo. ‘I am a maximalist by nature and I expect only victory in
6 September match of Armenia vs Turkey – 2010 FIFA World Cup draw’,
President of Football Federation of Armenia Ruben Hayrapetyan said
at a press conference Tuesday.

He said all the players of the Armenian team except four have already
arrived in Yerevan and are in top form and ready to fight. ‘In case
of success, players will get a solid prize’, FFA president said. He
ruled out any political motives of the upcoming match and categorically
banned any political propaganda on tribunes.

R. Hayrapetyan said FFA provided FIFA quota for Turkish and however
Turkey has not made any relevant application so far except application
for 15 VIP-seats and 115 tickets. Alongside with local media 100
journalists from Turkey and 150 journalists from other states will
cover the match. FFA President urged the fans of Armenian team to
arrive at the Hrazdan Stadium at least 30 minutes before the match
to avoid jam and crowd. ‘Hrazdan Stadium has 55,000 seats and police
will be just unable to prevent jams of dozens of thousands of people
arrive at the stadium 10 minutes before the match’, Hayrapetyan said.