An International Poetry Festival kicked off in Stepanakert today. President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan issued an address to the participants. The President stated, in part:
The address runs as follows:
“Dear participants of the festival,
I am glad to welcome all the participants and guests of the international poetry festival.
We consider important holding the festival in Artsakh and we’re pleased to host famous poets from different countries on the ancient Armenian soil.
Armenian culture is one of the oldest and richest cultures in the world, where the art of poetry has always occupied a unique place. Talented Armenian writers have created valuable pieces, which have become a treasure not only for the Armenian but also for the universal poetry.
Today, carrying out the important mission of creating, preserving and developing cultural traditions, writers inspire their compatriots, educate and bring up generations, reinforcing both national and universal values.
The NKR authorities rate high the role of writers and are ready to do everything possible to keep supporting the development of literature. Within this very context, we consider important holding such events in our republic, which is also a good opportunity for establishing new contacts and making Artsakh recognizable to the world.”
