SERZH SARGSYAN TO MEET WITH ARMENIAN FOOTBALL TEAM BEFORE ARMENIA-TURKEY MATCH

Tert.am
16:47 14.10.09

Armenian president spokesperson Samvel Farmanyan stated today that
Serzh Sargsyan has made an official decision to visit Turkey.

He said the president is leaving for the Turkish city of Bursa
today upon Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s invitation to watch the
Armenia-Turkey football match.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, Deputy Foreign Ministers
Arman Kirakosyan and Shavarsh Kocharyan, and other high state officials
of the president’s staff and foreign ministry will be leaving for
Turkey together with the president. A number of journalists will also
accompany the president.

According to Farmanyan, while in Bursa, Sargyan will firstly meet
with the Armenian national team players to motivate them before
the game. Sargsyan will have a face-to-face meeting with the Turkish
president in Bursa. A meeting with the larger delegation will also take
place. A luncheon and reception on behalf of the Turkish president
will be organized in Bursa in honour of Sargsyan. The delegation
headed by Sargsyan will return to Yerevan after the match.

As informed by the Armenian president press office, this is Sargsyan’s
first visit to Turkey and, in general, the fourth visit to Turkey
since independence by a president of the Republic of Armenia.

Republic of Armenia’s first president, Levon Ter-Petrossian, visited
Turkey twice, in 1992 and 1993, and second Armenian president, Robert
Kocharian, made a visit to Turkey in 1999.