My Brother Vazgen Would Definitely Say, ‘Think About This Country’ – Aram Sargsyan

Economic development is the foundation of any country's independence, sovereignty, and national security. This is the essence of a statement made by Aram Sargsyan, leader of the Republic Party, on his Facebook page.

“The level of the economy determines the level of politics, culture, and democracy in a country. Requesting a receipt is appropriate, but there are much more important issues at hand; one cannot make headway relying solely on receipts from shops. We often avoid discussing these issues for fear of being perceived as feeding into the former regime's narrative, and as a result, these challenges remain undervalued, unprioritized, and overlooked.”

The most critical issue, according to Sargsyan, is the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “Today we have two options on the table, and we oppose both, given the consequences of each. Our strategic partner has offered this infamous second option, which Azerbaijan supports…”

“We are not addressing the energy sector, where despite having a nuclear power plant and hydro resources, we produce electricity at twice the cost from Georgia and Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan not only sells gas but has also begun exporting electricity to Europe, while Georgia has shifted from being a buyer of our energy to becoming a seller. Real jobs and industrial enterprises that create systems are not being developed in Armenia, and investments in this field are lacking, primarily due to high energy prices…”

“We talk about knowledge, yet the issues within that domain revolve only around debates concerning the teaching of the Armenian language, literature, the history of the Armenian people, and the Armenian Apostolic Church, while neighboring Georgia is set to open a branch of a high-tech and globally recognized educational complex by next year, leading our children to seek technical education in Georgia.”

“And there are many more topics worth discussing, but more crucial than the ones listed is an essential point: It is very important that my reasoning holds meaning and significance if love increases and hate decreases… I do not know whether in Ancient Rome, after gladiators fought, the people voted more for death or for forgiveness. Did the emperor forgive more or go against the people's choice, or vice versa? The people desired blood, whether because the defeated gladiator was from an enemy country or if he had made such a bet and didn’t want to lose the money. And truly, who was the judge? I don’t know, but my brother Vazgen would certainly say, ‘Think about this country.’”

“As we enter the third decade of the 21st century in 2020, no one will return the time lost due to today’s inactions or forgive them. The country needs a vision and a dream. Resilience. The rest is for you to consider,” he concluded.