«Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund Should Become Our Nationwide Budget: Pashinyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan participated in the 28th meeting of the board of trustees of the «Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund. In his speech, the Prime Minister noted:

“Honorable President of the Republic of Armenia, honorable President of the Republic of Artsakh, spiritual leaders, esteemed members of the board of trustees, representatives of territorial bodies, state officials, I welcome you to the next meeting of the board of trustees of the «Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund. I can state that perhaps every Armenian has a certain emotional connection with the «Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund and perhaps to acknowledge that connection, it is enough to travel through the roads connecting Armenia to Artsakh and see the symbols of the «Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund along those roads, understanding that everything has been built with the support of the fund, including many schools, kindergartens, and water supply systems in Armenia and Artsakh. Thus, it becomes clear what significant mission the fund has carried out in the life of the third republic and in the life of Artsakh, supporting the Republic of Armenia and Artsakh during the most difficult times.

I agree with the President of the Republic that in new times, we need to view and assess the activities of the «Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund anew and also see the other side of the coin. Recently, on several occasions, including interesting observations from representatives of the diaspora, I have heard comments that I would like to share with you. While highly appreciating the activities of the «Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund, it is sometimes said that specific episodes of the fund’s activity have contributed to the demystification of Armenian potential. What that means is that in general, we ourselves, as well as many people in the world, understand Armenian potential as a very strong and influential force, and that is indeed the case. Therefore, what impact has certain episodes of the «Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund’s activities had on the image of Armenian potential?

Every year, we joyfully acknowledge—and it is truly a reason for joy—that within the framework of the «Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund, we have raised 15 million dollars, 10 million dollars, 20 million dollars, 25 million dollars. This, of course, is very important and commendable. But let us understand how this is perceived from the outside, from others’ perspectives. For others, the question arises: is this the Armenian potential? Is the Armenian potential that it can gather 15 million dollars worldwide and celebrate that? I want to emphasize that certain forces known to you and us spend billions of dollars annually to diminish Armenian influence worldwide. There come moments when, to strike the image of Armenian potential, we sometimes inadvertently do much greater work than our adversaries.

Of course, it is clear that Armenian potential does not only invest in Armenia through the «Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund. There are dozens of organizations both in the diaspora and in Armenia that have provided invaluable support, are providing it, and I am convinced they will continue to provide support to Armenia and Artsakh. But I believe it is very important not only what is happening, the substantive depth of what is happening, but also how it appears and how it is depicted for external perspectives, for bystanders’ views, and ultimately, when we find ourselves alone in the depths, what non-public questions we are asking ourselves about what is happening.

I believe the time has come to place these questions directly on the agenda, candidly and without embellishments, and discuss them. Of course, it is understood that during this time, we have encountered numerous problems; we have had issues with corruption, there may be individual cases of misappropriation, and there have been. Of course, we do everything we can and are doing to exclude that, but it is a general matter. It is also clear that we have project issues; we need our projects to genuinely inspire as many people as possible, that their importance can be demonstrated, and the related effects of those projects should be more impactful so that we not only build asphalt roads but also see that those roads bring development, new life, and new opportunities to more and more people. All of this is understandable and outside the realm of discussion, but these are more organizational issues.

The philosophical issue is that we, as a nation and as a people, must change our attitude towards this entire process. In a sense, the «Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund should not only be an opportunity for implementing isolated projects, but it should essentially become our nationwide budget. We must generally think about having a nationwide budget and change our attitude towards that nationwide budget. One of the most crucial directions of our government’s activities is that we want to change the perception of Armenian citizens regarding the state budget, and that crucial change in perception should be that each citizen understands that this money is not given to someone else, but that this money is given to themselves, just as money is spent for various purposes within a family, so too with the budget. This means each citizen of the Republic of Armenia must understand that the expenditures from the state budget are precisely for them.

Of course, the tangible effect of this ideology should be ensured by those who spend that money; in the case of the state budget, that is the government, and in the case of the «Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund, it is the executive body, the board of trustees. I want to say that the issue is not at all about the money; the issue is about the philosophy; it must be made tangible, much greater, and much more immediately shown that the entire Armenian nation is standing alongside Armenia, that the entire Armenian nation is standing alongside the diaspora. Yes, the problems of the 20th century have been solved, but we must consider that the challenges of the 21st century are becoming more serious, the challenges are escalating, and the response of the Armenian people to these escalating challenges must be commensurate because, after all, presidents, prime ministers, and governments are transient, while the homeland and the people are eternal. We must stand guard over the eternity of our homeland and our people; the eternity of the homeland and people is an issue that must be resolved today; that issue must be resolved every day, today.

I see the change of the essence and content of the «Hayastan» All-Armenian Fund precisely in solving this issue, and I am confident that we possess the necessary will, the necessary unity, the necessary skills and wisdom to serve the agenda of our homeland and people’s eternity, to ensure the eternity of our homeland and our people. Thank you.”