The third Children-Youth Republican Recitation Contest-Festival, being held under the patronage of the NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan in RA marzes continues.This time it is dedicated to the 95^th birth anniversary of the Armenian great poet Hovhannes Shiraz.

On May 11 the next, second phase of the contest-festival was held in Saribek Darbinyan secondary school of Martuni town of Gegharkunik Marz.

The Deputy head of Gegharkunik Marz Gagik Stepanyan, NA deputy Tachat Vardapetyan, and Deputy Minister of RA Territorial Administration Artashes Bakhshyan addressed the participants of the contest-festival in their welcoming speech.

The candidate of philological sciences Karo Vardanyan presented the poets’ creative path to the participants.

About 1200 students from 126 schools of Gegharkunik Marz took part in the preliminary phase of the contest-festival, 33 students gained the right to take part in the second phase.

From two age groups, 11-14 and 15-17, six students from this marz will take part in the final phase to be held in Yerevan.

Six children, who won in the second phase, were awarded fiction books.

On May 7 the second phase of the marz contest-festival was also held in RA Armavir Marz, where 1200 students from 120 schools took part in the preliminary phase, 40 students gained the right to take part in the second phase. Six of them from two age groups will also take part in the final phase to be held in Yerevan.

On May 14 the next phase of the contest-festival will be held in Kotayk Marz.