Sona Hakobyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Uruguay’s Minister of Tourism and Sport Liliam Kechichian visits Armenia. Accompanies by Armenian Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Yuri Vardanyan, she visited the Chess Academy of Armenia today, where the 8th School Olympiad is underway. The Uruguayan Minister welcomed the teaching of chess in Armenian schools.
Liliam Kechichian said she’s a great fan of football and follows the achievements of the Armenian national team. “We were happy, when Armenia beat Denmark. There are good Armenian football players and coaches in Uruguay,” she said.
“The Armenian national team has achieved a lot in the recent period. Although the team did not manage to qualify for the World Cup, it’s on the way towards international cups,” Ms Kechichian said.
Although a great patriot, Liliam Kechichian does not speak Armenian and realizes that it’s a huge omission in her life. “My father is Armenia, while my mother is from Uruguay. It’s usually mothers bringing up the children, that is why I don’t know Armenian,” she said.
It’s worth mentioning that it was thanks to Liliam Kechichian’s efforts that Uruguay became the first country to establish direct ties with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic on the parliamentary level. The visa regime between Armenia and Uruguay was also lifted thanks to her efforts.
