Azeri-Press news agency (APA) Monday Ambassador Kanellos: Linking TAP with TANAP will serve as a 'bridge' of friendship between Greece and Azerbaijan APA presents an interview with Mr. Nicolaos D. Kanellos, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to Azerbaijan Q: Greece underwent an economic crisis some time ago. At the time, some said the crisis had resulted from Greece's membership of the EU and entry into Eurozone. It was even proposed that Greece exit the EU. How is the current situation in your country? Is there going to be a 'Greek version' of the Brexit? A: After many years of recession the Greek economy is recovering, boosted by exports and tourism (30 million arrivals in 2017 or all-time high). We have achieved a positive GDP growth rate in 2017, with even better prospects for 2018. Unemployment has fallen 6 percentage points from 2014 to 2017 and the Greek government has succeeded in surpassing fiscal targets for primary budget surpluses. These macroeconomic and fiscal and achievements rule out completely the possibility of GREXIT. They are the outcome of the great effort by the Greek government to exit bailout program by August 2018. Q: How do you feel about the level of cooperation between Greece and Azerbaijan? What was last year's trade turnover between the two countries? What steps can be taken to improve bilateral relations further? A: Bilateral trade data for 2017 are still expected. Trade turnover for 2016 was rather small at about 16 million USD, consisting almost entirely of Greek exports of goods to Azerbaijan (as the Azeri oil exports to Greece virtually disappeared during that year, amounting only to about half a million USD). Excluding oil, which is a very special commodity traded under its own rules, the two countries produce more or less similar products, and therefore increasing trade volume is not easy. However our common will with the Azerbaijani authorities is to increase trade volume in the near future. Q: Are there any Greek companies interested in Azerbaijan's new oil and gas fields? Azerbaijan is implementing the TANAP and TAP projects together with its partners. What are Greece's expectations from these projects? A: Greek companies have shown no interest in the Azerbaijani 'upstream' sector so far, because they are focusing primarily on hydrocarbons exploration and exploitation in the area of Greece itself (with the single notable exception of North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean). TAP, of course, is a great 'engine for growth' in Greece since its construction started in 2016, being the largest Foreign Direct Investment in my country's history. 65% of the project in Greek soil has already been completed and the direct amount of work contracted to Greek companies (e.g. the steel pipes) is about 1 billion USD. Last but not least, linking TAP with TANAP at the Greek-Turkish border will serve as a 'bridge' of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Q: Last year Athens hosted a meeting of the Azerbaijan-Greece Joint Intergovernmental Commission. Next meeting is expected to be held in Baku. Is the date fixed? A: Indeed, the last meeting of the Joint Commission took place in Athens in May 2016 and it was very successful. The Azerbaijani side is expected to formally propose a date for the next meeting (in Baku) in due time. Q: Are there going to be any high-level official visits between the two countries this year? In what areas are new agreements going to be signed? A: Mr. Kotsonopoulos Loudovikos (Head of Minister's Cabinet, the Ministry of Energy and Environment of the Hellenic Republic), Mr. Verriopoulos Michail (Secretary General for Energy and Mineral Resources of the Ministry of Energy and Environment of the Hellenic Republic) will participate in the 4th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council and MPs will visit Baku in the framework of the VI Global Baku Forum. We are in the process of elaborating visits on a Ministerial level. Moreover, there is a broad array of ongoing negotiations for the signing of bilateral agreements in various fields like Education, Culture, E.U. affairs, Sports, cooperation in Military issues, judicial affairs and more. Q: As you know, the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been going on for many years. What is Greece's stance in respect of this conflict? A: Greece actively supports the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the provisions of international law and the relevant UN/SC resolutions.
Category: 2018
Azerbaijani Press: Azerbaijan to blacklist European Parliament member for illegally visiting its occupied lands
Azeri-Press news agency (APA) Monday Azerbaijan to blacklist European Parliament member for illegally visiting its occupied lands The visit of a member of the European Parliament from Sweden, Lars Adaktusson, to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, where the bloodthirsty ethnic cleansing against more than one million people, including the crime against humanity and the Khojaly genocide were committed by Armenia, on the eve of Holocaust means to support the aspirations of occupation, aggression and bloody ethnic cleansing, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, told APA. This illegal visit violates the laws of Azerbaijan and norms and principles of international law, as well as harm the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs towards a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, noted Hajiyev. 'It is extremely shameful that MEP Lars Adaktusson's visit took place with the participation and funding of head of the Brussels-based Armenian lobby, who is engaged in money laundering and dirty diamonds trade,' he said. 'At a time when the EU member states themselves suffer from tendencies of aggressive separatism, when the EU and the European Parliament express support for territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Eastern Partnership countries, Lars Adaktusson's illegal visit to Azerbaijan's occupied territories and his contacts with the criminal regime established there are not understandable,' stressed the spokesman. Instead of supporting aggressive separatism and the consequences of occupation, Lars Adaktusson, as a member of the European Parliament, could, by sharing and promoting the experience of the Åland Islands, a successful model of autonomy between Sweden and Finland, contribute to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, added Hajiyev. Lars Adaktusson's name will be included in the list of undesirable persons of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, noted the spokesman.
Eurovision 2018: Armenia to perform in first Semi-Final
Public Radio of Armenia
Jan 30 2018
13:48, 30 Jan 2018
Off
Armenia will perform in the second part of the first Semi Final of Eurovision Song Contest 2018. The allocation draw took place at Lisbon’s City Hall on Monday.
During the ceremony, the Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, handed over the Host City Insignia to Fernando Medina, Mayor of Lisbon. The Portuguese capital is now officially the Host City of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest.
The first part of the draw determined in which Semi-Final each of the six pre-qualified countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and host country Portugal) will broadcast and vote.
At the request of the Italian broadcaster broadcaster RAI, and following approval from the Reference Group, the governing body of the Eurovision Song Contest, Italy will broadcast and vote in the Second Semi-Final on Thursday 10th May. France and Germany were drawn to vote in the Second Semi-Final. Spain, the United Kingdom and Portugal will vote in the First Semi-Final.
The second draw then decided in which semi-final each of the other participating countries will perform. 19 countries will compete in the first Semi-Final and 18 will participate in the second on 8th May and 10th May respectively.
The 37 Semi-Finalists were allocated into six pots, based on historical voting patterns as calculated by the contest’s official televoting partner Digame.
First Semi-Final: Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Iceland, Israel, Lithuania, Armenia, Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, F.Y.R. Macedonia, Greece, Ireland and Switzerland.
Second Semi-Final: Australia, Denmark, Norway, Moldova, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, The Netherlands, Hungary, Georgia, Malta, Montenegro, Latvia, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden.
Armenia will select its participant through a national selection “Depi Evratesil.” Twenty songs have been submitted.
Travel Blog Baltic: Karabakh’s ancient monasteries, amazing people (video)
Pan Armenian, Armenia
Jan 30 2018
– 13:11 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – Mountain gorges, ancient monasteries, old villages, modern cities and amazing people – all this can be seen in a new film by Travel Blog Baltic about Artsakh, commonly known as Nagorno Karabakh.
“In recent years, much has been done to make this country attractive to the whole world,” the team from Lithuania and Latvia say, adding that the whole world still lives with the stereotypes and horror stories made up by Azerbaijan.
The movie unveils stunning aerial footage of the mountains of Karabakh, the hustle and bustle in the capital, Stepanakert, and the tranquil life in villages, the ever-growing economy, the many unique forms of arts and crafts.
But most importantly, it centers around people and their hospitality and skillfulness, dancers and musicians, hikers enjoying the lush forests and rocky cliffs, as well as the safe environment for children.
The crew was traveling in the region to shoot their first film-trip, which would help tourists get first-hand information about what to do and what to see, and why it's worth visiting Karabakh if you are traveling in Armenia.
The film, as a result, turned out to be simple, lively and very beautiful. Creators believe that such a depiction of Karabakh will appeal many.
Video at link:
Chess: Armenia’s Aronian snatches another win at Gibraltar Chess Festival
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 30 2018
Armenian GM Levon Aronian has claimed another victory at Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival 2018 (10 rounds, Swiss system), defeating Nigel Short of England at Round 7 of the chess tournament held on Monday.
Another Armenian representative Lilit Mkrtchian did not play at the seventh round and was granted half a point as prescribed by the tournament regulations, the National Olympic Committee reported.
After seven rounds, Aronian holds the 7th spot with 5.5 points. Lilit Mkrtchian comes 88th with 4 points.
Chess: Tradewise Chess Festival: Aronian gains third win
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 29 2018
Armenian GM Levon Aronian has claimed his third victory at Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival 2018 (10 rounds, Swiss system) taking place from 23 January to 1 February.
Armenian chess star defeated Shardul Gagare of India with black pieces at Round 6 of the chess tournament, National Olympic Committee reported.
Another Armenian representative Lilit Mkrtchian drew with India’s Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa with white pieces.
After six rounds, Aronian comes 18th with 4.5 points. Lilit Mkrtchian lags behind in the 86th spot with 3.5 points.
Soccer: Henrikh Mkhitaryan: I came to Arsenal to play ‘offensive football’
Panorama, Armenia
Jan 30 2018
Armenian national team captain and Arsenal playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan says he is looking forward to playing "offensive football" in north London.
Mkhitaryan has revealed that Arsenal's attacking style makes it a dream to join the Premier League club, Goal.com reported.
Mkhitaryan has also praised new manager Arsene Wenger. He said Arsenal's style of play also made the club an attractive destination, perhaps digging at Mourinho's perceived defensive approach at United.
"Of course it's very important to have respect from your manager. I know that he's demanding and he likes his players to explore," he told Arsenal Player of Wenger.
"He was one of the [reasons] to join Arsenal as well because everyone knows he's a great manager.
"I've known him for a long time and of course it was not very difficult to make this decision to come to Arsenal, because I think the way that Arsenal play [make] it a dream for every player to come here and play offensive football."
Mkhitaryan, 29, signed for Arsenal earlier this month as part of a swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez head to Manchester United. He could make his Arsenal debut when Wenger's men visit Swansea City in the Premier League on Tuesday.
Sports: Henrikh Mkhitaryan appears to take dig at Jose Mourinho by claiming he’s looking forward to playing ‘offensive football’ at Arsenal
The Mirror, UK
Jan 30 2018
Henrikh Mkhitaryan appears to take dig at Jose Mourinho by claiming he's looking forward to playing 'offensive football' at Arsenal
The Armenian is in line for a debut this evening as Arsene Wenger takes his side to Swansea in the Premier League
by James Whaling
New Arsenal signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan has appeared to take a dig at ex-boss Jose Mourinho by claiming he is looking forward to playing 'offensive football' at the Emirates.
Mkhitaryan moved from Manchester United to the Gunners in a sensational swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez move in the other direction.
The Armenian is in line for a debut this evening as Arsene Wenger takes his side to Swansea in the Premier League.
And he has hailed his 'respectful' new manager while seemingly stoking the fire with his old one.
"Of course it's very important to have respect from your manager. I know that he's demanding and he likes his players to explore," Mkhitaryan told Arsenal Player.
"He was one of the [reasons] to join Arsenal as well because everyone knows he's a great manager.
"I've known him for a long time and of course it was not very difficult to make this decision to come to Arsenal, because I think the way that Arsenal play [make] it a dream for every player to come here and play offensive football."
Arsenal need three points in South Wales to keep the heat on the top four, currently sitting five points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.
Armenian Assembly Advocacy Yields Results, Welcomes New Members to Caucus
ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date:
Contact: Danielle Saroyan
Telephone: (202) 393-3434
Web: www.aaainc.org
ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY ADVOCACY YIELDS
RESULTS, WELCOMES MORE ARMENIAN CAUCUS MEMBERS
WASHINGTON,
D.C. – As Congress returned to Washington, D.C. this month, the Armenian
Assembly of America (Assembly) held over 30 meetings with Congressional offices
and Members, thanking friends, discussing key issues, and adding more Members
to the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues.
The Assembly is pleased to welcome Representatives
Ken Buck (R-CO), Joe Kennedy III (D-MA), and Grace Meng (D-NY) as the latest
Members to join the Armenian Caucus. Last month, Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ),
and Anthony Brown (D-MD) also joined the Caucus as a result of the Assembly's
efforts to expand the Caucus, thus bringing the total as we start 2018 to 117
Members.
"I'm proud to be joining the Congressional
Armenian Caucus. I look forward to learning more about issues that impact the
American-Armenian relationship and about ways to deepen ties between our two
nations," Rep. Buck told the Assembly.
Rep. Buck serves on the House Committee on Rules and
House Judiciary Committee, as well as the Judiciary Subcommittees on
Immigration and Border Security and Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and
Investigations. Last Congress, he also co-sponsored H.Res.220 and H.Res.154,
affirming the Armenian Genocide.
"I am proud to join the Congressional Armenian
Caucus. New York is home to many Armenian Americans and I am honored to
represent a strong and vibrant Armenian American community in my district in
Queens. I look forward to serving on the Caucus," Rep. Meng told the
Assembly.
Having previously served on the House Foreign
Affairs Committee, Rep. Meng now serves on the House Appropriations Committee
and its Subcommittees on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs as
well as Commerce, Justice, and Science. She represents the Sixth Congressional
District of New York, which includes the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs in
Bayside (Queens). Just this month, Community Board 11 in her district voted
unanimously to change the name of the street behind Holy Martyrs to
"Armenia Way" to honor the Armenians in Bayside. In addition to
co-sponsoring H.Res.220, the Congresswoman supported other Armenian Genocide
legislation, including H.Res.154 in the 114th Congress and H.Res.227 in the
113th Congress. She also co-sponsored H.R.4347, "Turkey Christian Churches
Accountability Act," in the 113th Congress.
Rep. Kennedy is a member of the House Energy &
Commerce Committee, and represents Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District,
near Boston. In 2015, he signed the Royce-Engel Letter, which urged the U.S.
and OSCE to "publicly condemn specific acts of aggression along the line
of contact" initiated by Azerbaijan, against Artsakh. The letter called
for "a few common sense steps for the U.S. and the Minsk Group to take to
deter further violence. Specifically, the call for all parties to withdraw
snipers, and the proposal to deploy OSCE monitors and equip them with gunfire
locator systems, provides tools to increase transparency and accountability for
each and every cross-boundary violation."
Rep. Gallego represents Arizona's Seventh
Congressional District, which includes portions of Phoenix. His district is
located near St. Apkar Armenian Apostolic Church in Scottsdale, where Assembly
Western Region Director Mihran Toumajan participated in its "Armenia
Fest" this past November. Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny will
present a Town Hall Briefing at St. Apkar Church on February 18.
"I'm proud to join the Armenian Caucus and
share in the richness that the Armenian Community brings to the United States.
I look forward to upholding and advocating for the Caucus' commitment to the
preservation of human and civil rights in Armenia, the United States, and
around the world," Rep. Gallego said to the Assembly.
Rep. Brown is part of the House Committee on Ethics,
House Committee on Natural Resources, and House Armed Services Committee. He
represents Maryland's Fourth Congressional District, which is comprised of
portions of Prince George's County and Anne Arundel County near Washington,
D.C.'s suburbs. Assembly Board Member Annie Totah and Executive Director
Ardouny have spoken with Rep. Brown on numerous occasions on U.S.-Armenia and
U.S.-Artsakh relations, and the importance of joining the Armenian Caucus.
"The Armenian Assembly looks forward to working
with these new Members and with the leadership of the Armenian Caucus as we
continue to strengthen U.S.-Armenia relations and confront Azerbaijan's ongoing
and deadly cease-fire violations," stated Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. "In 2018, we will also continue to expand our network of State Chairs
across the country and are also planning a National Advocacy Conference in
Washington, D.C. later this year," he added.
The Armenian Caucus was established in 1995 as an
informal, bipartisan group of legislators dedicated to maintaining and
strengthening the U.S.-Armenia relationship. The coordinated efforts of this
diverse coalition of Congressional friends of Armenia and the Armenian American
community help to raise greater awareness of Armenian American issues on
Capitol Hill and unique and lasting bonds between the American and Armenian
people.
The Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues is
currently Co-Chaired by Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Rep. Jackie Speier
(D-CA), Rep. David Trott (R-MI), and Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) with Vice
Co-Chairs Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL).
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of
America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting
public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a
non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
###
NR#
2018-002
Photo
Caption 1: Armenian Assembly Western Region Director Mihran Toumajan, Rep. Ken
Buck (R-CO), Assembly Grassroots & Development Associate Mariam Khaloyan,
and Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny
Photo
Caption 2: Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) speaking with Armenian Assembly Western
Region Director Mihran Toumajan, Assembly Grassroots & Development
Associate Mariam Khaloyan, and Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny
Photo Caption 3: Armenian Assembly Western Region Director Mihran
Toumajan, Assembly Grassroots & Development Associate Mariam Khaloyan, Rep.
Duncan Hunter (R-CA) who co-sponsored H.Res.220, and Assembly Executive
Director Bryan Ardouny
Photo
Caption 4: Armenian Assembly Grassroots
& Development Associate Mariam Khaloyan, Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and
Assembly Public Affairs Associate Danielle Saroyan
Photo Caption 5: Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny,
Assembly Grassroots & Development Associate Mariam Khaloyan, Rep. Mike
Bishop (R-MI), and Assembly Western Region Director Mihran Toumajan
Photo Caption 6: Armenian Assembly Executive
Directory Bryan Ardouny, Armenian Assembly Board Member Annie Totah, and Rep.
Anthony Brown (D-MD)
Photo Caption 7: Armenian Assembly Western Region Director Mihran
Toumajan, Assembly Grassroots & Development Associate Mariam Khaloyan, Rep.
Dina Titus (D-NV), and Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny
Photo
Caption 8: Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny, Armenian Caucus
Co-Chair Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Assembly Grassroots &
Development Associate Mariam Khaloyan
Photo Caption 9: Armenian Assembly Western Region Director Mihran
Toumajan and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
Available here: http://bit.ly/2DNNdxn
Bryan Ardouny, Annie Totah, and Rep. Anthony Brown_crop.jpg
JPEG image
Gallego.jpg
JPEG image
Dina Titus (D-NV)_crop.jpg
JPEG image
Duncan Hunter (R-CA).JPG
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JPEG image
Linda Sanchez (D-CA).jpg
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Mike Bishop (R-MI).JPG
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Pallone.JPG
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Zoe Lofgren.jpg
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Sports: UEFA Nations League, Armenia’s Additional Path to Euro 2020
The Armenian Weekly
Jan 29 2018
Special to the Armenian Weekly
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Nations League is a new competition for European teams. The competition’s introduction will result in a decrease in the number of meaningless international friendly matches and an increase in competitive fixtures between similarly ranked teams. The competition also aims to increase the viewership and general interest in international soccer, in response to waning interest in favor of the club competitions Europa League and Champions League.
Armenian fans march to Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium before a 2013 Armenia-Czech Republic match (Photo: Vahan Stepanyan/Pan Armenian Photo)
The draw for the inaugural 2018-19 UEFA Nations League took place on Wed, Jan 17, 2018. Countries are split into groups across four leagues according to current UEFA ranking coefficients.
League A
Group 1: Germany, France, Netherlands
Group 2: Belgium, Switzerland, Iceland
Group 3: Portugal, Italy, Poland
Group 4: Spain, England, Croatia
League B
Group 1: Slovakia, Ukraine, Czech Republic
Group 2: Russia, Sweden, Turkey
Group 3: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland
Group 4: Wales, Republic of Ireland, Denmark
League C
Group 1: Scotland, Albania, Israel
Group 2: Hungary, Greece, Finland, Estonia
Group 3: Slovenia, Norway, Bulgaria, Cyprus
Group 4: Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Lithuania
League D
Group 1: Georgia, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Andorra
Group 2: Belarus, Luxembourg, Moldova, San Marino
Group 3: Azerbaijan, Faroe Islands, Malta, Kosovo
Group 4: FYR Macedonia, Armenia, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar
The four group winners of the top-ranked League A will qualify for the Nations League Finals in June 2019. Two single-leg semifinals, a third-place playoff, and a final match will determine the overall winner. Group winners from Leagues B, C, and D will gain promotion to the higher levels, while teams propping up each group table will be relegated. Since Group 1 of League C has fewer teams than the other groups in League C, the three fourth-placed teams and the worst third-placed team will be relegated.
The second edition of the Nations League season will take place in 2020-21.
Another feature of the competition, and one that should be of keen interest to Armenian fans, will be a secondary qualifying route into Euro 2020 for four teams, one from each League A/B/C/D. That avenue of qualification will be separate from the standard Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.
The regular qualifying format will remain largely the same but, rather than the best third-placed teams advancing to the play-offs as in years past… that stage will now be reserved for the 16 Nations League group winners. If any of the 16 teams in question have already qualified for Euro 2020 through the regular route, their place will be taken by the next best-ranked team. Four countries from each of the four leagues will compete in two single-legged semifinals and a final to secure the four Euro 2020 berths up for grabs. Most importantly, this avenue of qualification assigns one berth to each league, which means that teams competing in League D, those teams that would normally struggle in the regular qualifying format, now have a chance to qualify for the finals tournament by pitting their skills against similarly ranked nations.
This is an altogether positive development for the European Championships, a competition that has evolved over the years. Along with CONMEBOL, the South American confederation, UEFA can be considered to be of the highest standard among all confederations in FIFA. Historically, this has made the European Championships arguably harder to qualify for, and win, compared with the World Cup. Teams reaching the European Championships tend to be the cream of the crop from UEFA, whereas the World Cup (rightfully) allocates qualification berths to weaker confederations to ensure the competition is truly global. That adds to the romance of the competition, for sure, but increases the difficulty for lower-seeded European countries to qualify from UEFA, and favors countries from other confederations that are most likely lower in the FIFA rankings.
The point is, the European Championships was, at one time, a best-of-the-best competition. For example, Euro 1992 had eight participating countries, seven of which gained qualification alongside the automatic berth of the host nation. That competition represented only 20 percent of the nations in UEFA at that time. With the breakup of the Soviet Union and an increase in the number of competing nations, the tournament was expanded to 16 teams in 1996. However, the tournament still only had room for around one-third of the confederation’s nations, not to mention subsequent years where two nations hosted the tournament and thus gained automatic qualification for themselves while reducing the number of available berths for qualifiers.
Referring to the included table, in the 20-year period between 1992 and 2012, a span of six tournaments, there were only three occasions where lower-seeded nations qualified: i.e., teams drawn from seeding pots four or lower. The 2016 edition of the tournament, which further expanded the participation to 24 teams, was somewhat of an anomaly in terms of lower-seed qualifications. Four of the 24 participating nations qualified after being drawn from pots four and five. If that was truly an outlying case, a regression to the mean is expected. Therefore, a similar pattern of qualification failure will be seen for lower-seeded teams in 2020 and beyond. That is why the UEFA Nations League and its back-door path to Euro 2020 qualification is a very welcome development for nations of League C, and most definitely nations of League D. It will have Armenian fans sizing up the League D opposition and fancying their chances.
Euro Championship qualifying statistics (Table: Michael Graham)
When are the matches?
UEFA Nations League
Match day 1: 6–8 Sept. 2018
Match day 2: 9–11 Sept. 2018
Match day 3: 11–13 Oct. 2018
Match day 4: 14–16 Oct. 2018
Match day 5: 15–17 Nov. 2018
Match day 6: 18–20 Nov. 2018
*Group winners advance to Euro2020 playoffs (16 teams, four from each League)
League A Finals draw: Dec. 2018
League A Finals: 5–9 June 2019
Euro 2020 Qualifying
Match day 1 21–23 March 2019
Match day 2 24–26 March 2019
Match day 3 7–8 June 2019
Match day 4 10–11 June 2019
Match day 5 5–7 Sept. 2019
Match day 6 8–10 Sept. 2019
Match day 7 10–12 Oct. 2019
Match day 8 13–15 Oct. 2019
Match day 9 14–16 Nov. 2019
Match day 10 17–19 Nov. 2019
*Nations League A/B/C/D Group Winners (16 teams total, four per league)
Euro 2020 Playoff draw: 22 Nov. 2019
Euro 2020 Playoff Semifinals 26–28 March 2020
Euro 2020 Playoff Finals 29–31 March 2020
UEFA Nations League (Graphic: UEFA)