Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the ceremonial inauguration of the Seventh Pan-Armenian Summer Games at Stepanakert’s Republican Stadium after Stepan Shahumyan.

After watching the ceremonial inauguration of the Seventh Pan-Armenian Summer Games and the sports parade, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivered a speech, in which he stated:

“Dignified successors of Hayk Nahapet,
Proud children of the Armenian people,
I welcome you all.

Honorable President of the Republic of Artsakh,
Honorable Presidents of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh,
Distinguished Pan-Armenian Games World Committee Executive Body Members,
State officials of the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh Republic,
Dear compatriots in Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora,

Today is a holiday in our homeland as thousands of Armenians from Europe, Asia, Australia, North and South America have come together in Artsakh, which is the fortress of the Armenian dignity, and we enjoy being together.

And why does it make us so happy to be together? Just because we have the same blood running in our veins: Hayk Nahapet’s blood is flowing in our veins, the blood of King Artashes, the blood of Mesrop Mashtots and Grigor Narekatsi.

And we gathered at Artsakh to enjoy the strength of our unity, and realize that we are invincible when united. We have come together to see that we boast a common history, that we have identity, that we have a state, and we have the will to continue our people’s triumphal march for millennia.

Today, we are here to talk about our strong and unshakable will, our will to win, our will to live, create, develop our statehood. Today, thousands of representatives of the Seventh Pan-Armenian Games will nurture, empower and develop our people’s skills and the will to win.

I wish all competitors fair plays and victories in the Seventh Pan-Armenian Games. I hereby announce the Seventh Pan-Armenian Summer Games open.”

Speeches were also made by Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan and Pan-Armenian Games World Committee Chairman Ishkhan Zakaryan.

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The 7th Pan-Armenian Summer Games will be held in Armenia and Artsakh on August 5-17.

The ceremonial opening and 3 days of competition will be held in Stepanakert and the next days of competition - on August 9-17 in Yerevan. Delegations from 35 countries and 161 cities are taking part in the Games. The total number of delegates is about 5300. The closing ceremony of the 7th Pan-Armenian Summer Games will take place on August 17 in Yerevan’s Liberty Square.