VIDEO: Armen Sarkissian Addresses National Assembly

The President of Armenia, Armen Sarkissian, considers it a priority to find paths out of a deep and multifaceted crisis, emphasizing the importance of excluding division and highlighting the opportunity granted to the newly elected National Assembly to develop and implement real, strategic programs aimed at the future.

In his speech during the first session of the eighth convening of the National Assembly, the President wished all lawmakers success and effective work, expressing gratitude to citizens for expressing their views in various ways and thereby participating in the state, political, and social life.

Addressing the political forces represented in Parliament, the President stated, “You have the chance to first develop, and then implement real, strategic programs for the future. The citizens of Armenia expect solutions to the existing problems and the will to guide Armenia towards development and the future. That future must be built around a vision of a strong, balanced, and progressive state.”

He added, “The future is not the interest of any one of us individually or any separate party; the future is us as a whole, united by common historical memory, as well as our debt to our children and ancestors, who have fought for centuries to have their own independent state. We must deeply recognize and value the fact of our statehood’s existence.”

Sarkissian emphasized the need to do everything possible to protect and preserve the statehood of Armenia. According to him, the essence of effective governance is primarily to be honest and responsible. “Attempts to present the desirable as reality, demagoguery, and populism are paths to a dead end. We must speak honestly, openly, and directly about existing problems, assess our real capabilities soberly and coolly, have the courage to acknowledge our shortcomings and mistakes, and take responsibility for them. Each of us must feel responsible for our country and the future of our state.”

“Only honest and fair governance can change the situation, overcome disappointment, sow optimism, restore and strengthen the bond between the citizen and the state,” said the President.

According to him, the time has come to establish a state that performs its fundamental functions with full responsibility, including ensuring the security of borders and population, protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, finding a fair solution to the Artsakh issue, developing the economy, science, and culture, and more.

“Today, finding paths out of a profound and multifaceted crisis is a priority. Clearly, in this context, the primary issue is to exclude division. We cannot allow anyone to divide our people based on geographical, political, or any other criteria. Our main goal should be to preserve, protect, and develop our statehood; division and internal enmity only move us further away from that goal, weakening the foundations of statehood,” noted the President of Armenia.

He stressed that the guarantee of security is unity. The President also added that Armenia must be part of new global trends and be competitive.