YEREVAN. – The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, on Tuesday met in Stepanakert—the capital city of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)—with members of the World Committee of the Pan-Armenian Games, informed the press service of the government of Armenia.

In his remarks, Pashinyan particularly touched upon the importance of holding the 7th Pan-Armenian Summer Games in Artsakh.

“It was from holding the Pan-Armenian Games in Stepanakert that the idea arose that games can be a very important and good platform for our nationwide conversation,” he explained. “I believe it’s very useful that we [Armenians] truly be able to further expand the notion of pan-Armenianism. In this respect, of course, the Pan-Armenian Games have a very important and exceptional significance.

“We set tasks before ourselves in terms of sports, too. And I believe that from the viewpoint of fulfilling those tasks, it’s also very important that we engage the pan-Armenian resource. The Pan-Armenian Games should become a good platform for discovering the talented athletes of the Armenian nation and observing the opportunities for including them in the national teams of Armenian, so that the athletic glory of Armenia be increased as much as possible because I’m convinced that those resources exist in the whole world.”

Subsequently, the PM of Armenia and the members of the World Committee of the Pan-Armenian Games exchanged views on the avenues for the further development of these games and the spread of pan-Armenianism.

In particular, they touched upon holding Armenian winter and paralympic games, and the development of institutional development mechanisms.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Pan-Armenian Games.

Opening ceremony of the 7th Pan-Armenian Summer Games will take place Tuesday evening  in Stepanakert,  whereas the closing ceremony—on August 17 in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.