YEREVAN. - President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan today received the Armenian schoolchildren who won in a poster competition carried out in secondary educational institutions of the country in the framework of a program entitled “Armenian state symbols.”

He also received the school directors who took part in the competition, as well as the representatives of “Union of School Centers,” who held the competition in cooperation with the Armenian Ministry of Culture.

The program organizers briefed the President on the objective of the competition, also presenting the works of the winners and the authors themselves. The latter were more than 30 pupils of 8th form from different provinces of the country.  

Before visiting the Presidential Palace, the event organizers summed up the results of the competition at Komitas Chamber Music House, holding an exhibition and an award-giving ceremony there. The schools which won in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd nominations received awards and certificates, as well as recognition gifts.

A familiarization tour was also held for the pupils in the Armenian Presidential Palace, during which they got familiarized with the activity of the head of state and his administration, the powers of the president and history of the Presidential Palace.

Sargsyan welcomed the attendees, as well as the competition participants, underscoring the importance of the given initiative.

“I’m deeply convinced that our school has one mission: To educate a man and a citizen of versatile development. These two concepts should be integrated, since a man can stay uninterested in anything during his life, work, keep a family and feel satisfied with this.  But a citizen must be active, feel responsible for the development of the country and definitely have knowledge.

Each of us must make our contribution to the development of our country and defend it if need rises. To defend a country means to work day and night so that it becomes more powerful,” Sargsyan said.