Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan who is in Moscow on a working visit called at Armenia’s Embassy in Russia. A ceremonious event was held, during which the Prime Minister awarded Nikita Simonyan the First-Degree Order for Outstanding Service to Motherland in acknowledgement of his merit to Armenian football.

Addressing the event, the Prime Minister noted:
“Dear Mr. Simonyan,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honor for me to hand to Nikita Simonyan the First-Degree Order for Outstanding Service to Motherland. I was born in 1975, and I remember my family always talking about “Ararat-73” and Nikita Simonyan during festive events. As a person who used to take credit in this legendary name, I am greatly honored today to meet Nikita Simonyan.

I think this Order speaks for itself, and I feel that its impact goes far beyond football: “Ararat-73” has become an integral part of our national identity, our national self-confidence, our national pride and our strong belief in our own strengths. “Ararat-73” is a symbol, which proves every day that when we gold together, when we have a common goal and a shared dream, we can make our dream a reality.

I think that the heroic achievements of “Ararat-73” and the work done by Nikita Simonyan are an important milestone in our centuries-old history and give us the strength not only to dream, but also to implement them.

Dear Mr. Simonyan, on behalf of the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian nation, allow me to thank you for your service to the Motherland. We are proud of you; we take great pride in your achievements. We are glad to see you in such a good mood today, in such a beautiful young look, and it will be a great honor for all of us to see you in Armenia in the near future. Thank you again and again,” Prime Minister Pashinyan said.

Nikita Simonyan thanked the Prime Minister for high appreciation. He noted that he was always proud of being an Armenian and strived to give credit to his people through sporting achievements.