Ruben Hayrapetyan’s Response to Artur Sakunts

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor has filed two lawsuits against Vanadzor Municipality, Vanadzor City Council and the Football Federation of Armenia.

The plaintiff appealed to invalidate the 75th and 76th decisions of Vanadzor City Council of October 26, 2010 as well as the signed agreements deriving from them.  

According to these decisions, FFA initiated an obligation to build a modern sport complex in Vanadzor, and rebuild and modernize Vanadzor Sport Arena within the next three years. Currently, the arena is in less than poor condition and cannot serve its purpose.

For the purpose of developing football in Armenia, FFA has developed and realized several diverse programs, which included construction and reconstruction of different sport complexes and infrastructures.

A good example of that, along with other infrastructures, is the football academy built in Avan District, which completely corresponds to the highest international standards and provides an opportunity:
1.    To ensure a normal process of physical education for youth and especially for children
2.    To keep youth and children away from various negative influences  by taking them off the streets FFA has planned to establish similar sport complexes in all regions of Armenia.

FFA investments in Vanadzor, particularly the construction of a sport complex corresponding to modern standards, as well as the re-construction of the Vanadzor Sport Arena derives from the interests of the population of Lori Region. It is obvious in such conditions that, although the subjects initiating the judicial process attempt to present it as deriving from the interests of the population, in reality they impede the realization of these large scale investments in Lori Region.

Therefore, considering unacceptable the lawsuit against FFA, I officially declare that the responsibility for the possible failure of the large scale projects planned by FFA in Lori Region falls on the subjects (HCA Vanadzor), who initiated the judicial process.

Ruben Hayrapetyan
President of Football Federation of Armenia

Source: www.1in.am