On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Armenia's independence, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan awarded 200 representatives of Diaspora, culture, art, healthcare, economy, Foreign Ministry, army with orders, medals and honorary titles.“I'm honoured to grant well-deserved awards to outstanding representatives of our society and country,” President Sargsyan said in his statement.

Among hose awarded were: VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Arman Kirakossian, Yerevan Brandy Company CEO Ara Grigoryan, etc. Van Bayburt, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's adviser on minority affairs was granted a special award for his contribution to preservation of national identity.