Armenian sports minister meets ESC President as Yerevan hosts general assembly

Armenia’s Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan has held a meeting with Alexander Ratner, the President of the European Shooting Confederation (ESC), the governing body for shooting sports in Europe.

Yerevan is hosting the ESC Ordinary General Assembly.

Around 110 delegates and 50 honorary guests from the member countries of the Confederation have arrived in Armenia. During the assembly, elections will also be held for the Confederation’s governing bodies, including the President, Secretary General, and administrative staff, the ministry said in a press release. 

Andreasyan expressed her gratitude for entrusting Armenia, for the first time, with the organization of such a major event, emphasizing the effective cooperation between the European Shooting Confederation and the Armenian Shooting Federation. She also noted that the Government of Armenia, in collaboration with the Armenian Shooting Federation, is actively preparing for the ESC European Championship, which will be held in Yerevan from February 27 to March 5, 2026.

“Our goal is to host the championship at the highest possible level. Preparatory work is proceeding according to schedule, and we are doing everything possible to ensure that all technical and organizational requirements are fully met,” the minister said during the meeting.

Expressing his gratitude for the warm welcome and support, Alexander Ratner highly praised Armenia’s readiness and organizational capacity.

“It is a great pleasure to be back in Yerevan. To participate in the assembly, representatives from around 50 countries have come to Armenia. For many, this is their first visit, and they are very impressed. I am confident that the upcoming European Championship will be held at the highest level and will give new momentum to the development of shooting sports in Armenia. I know that Armenia has produced Olympic and World champions in this discipline, and I am sure that the European Championship will help attract a new generation of athletes,” Mr. Ratner said.

During the meeting, the parties also discussed new initiatives aimed at developing shooting sports. Zhanna Andreasyan noted that the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, in cooperation with the federation, is exploring the possibility of including shooting sports in school curricula as part of the physical education program.

“Shooting develops important skills such as focus, attention, and discipline. We consider it important to include it in school curricula. We hope that, together with the federation, we will be able to launch this initiative on a pilot basis in several schools, with the aim of expanding it later,” the minister said, adding that Armenia is ready to study the experience of European countries in this area.

The parties reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation and the implementation of new programs.

The meeting was also attended by Hasmik Avagyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, and Artur Hovhannisyan, President of the Armenian Shooting Federation.