Stepan Safaryan to be Appointed President of the Public Council by the Prime Minister

Political scientist and member of the Public Council, Stepan Safaryan, has announced on his Facebook page that he has received an offer from the Prime Minister to lead the Public Council.

“My dear compatriots, friends, relatives in Armenia and abroad, I am immensely grateful for the numerous messages and calls you have started sending to congratulate me on the news of my appointment as the President of the Public Council at the upcoming session of the Armenian government.

As I have already confirmed to the media, I have received such an offer from the Prime Minister of Armenia and have accepted it, for which I am grateful and thankful for this high confidence, which is extremely obliging. I want to remind everyone that at the beginning of this year, when I received the proposal to become a member of that body from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, I mentioned that I was going there solely as an expert, to contribute my modest input in the advisory role of this constitutional institution in matters and fields that have been part of my expertise over the past decades.

Now, I will continue my activity there with the same mission and professional identity, although now in the capacity of president, which, as you understand, does not in any way enhance my expert capabilities, but increases my responsibility before the collective body and its members, and our two main stakeholders - the public and the Armenian government.

Until now, I had not publicized this offer and my agreement for a simple reason: as long as the government has not officially announced it, there was no point in making it public. Ultimately, the final decision rests with them beyond the agreements reached.

I am making this known now because the Prime Minister's spokesperson, Vladimir Karapetyan, has already confirmed my appointment for tomorrow. I will write more detailed comments after the appointment, and for now, I simply thank you for the heartfelt words and congratulations. Always yours, Stepan

PS: To avoid misunderstandings, I would like to inform you that this is a public, unpaid position,” he wrote.

It is noteworthy that the question of Safaryan's appointment as President of the Public Council is included in the agenda of the government meeting to be held tomorrow, December 19.

“Guided by Articles 5.8 and 5.9 of the Law on the Public Council of the Republic of Armenia, the Government of the Republic of Armenia decides to appoint Stepan Safaryan as the President of the Public Council,” the decision states.