Nikol Pashinyan Confident that Vahagn Khachaturyan Will Be Elected President

During today’s government meeting, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that the Minister of High-Tech Industry, Vahagn Khachaturyan, has been nominated as a candidate for the President of Armenia. The nomination was made by 65 members of the National Assembly. According to Pashinyan, this provides a certain level of confidence that Khachaturyan will be elected to the presidential position.

“At this time, I won't congratulate him; it might not be appropriate. I hope, Mr. Khachaturyan, that until the election, which will take place in March, you will fulfill your role as minister, and in the meantime, we will continue to work effectively together in the government,” Pashinyan said.

Vahagn Khachaturyan also expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in him, stating that he understands what it means to be nominated as a candidate. “There are certainly more deserving people within the political party, but the party's decision is very highly valued personally for me, because it should be about rising above everything for the sake of the goals that the current government is guided by,” he said.

The presidential candidate emphasized that what has been planned will later provide the opportunity to implement the projects that are discussed every day.

Nikol Pashinyan stated that due to the Constitution, the President of Armenia engages in non-partisan activities and is guided by national state interests. “I am convinced that the government is also guided by state and national interests, as is the National Assembly; here, the principle of separation of powers must apply. The Constitution clearly outlines what powers the different branches of government have. Yes, I consider it very important that the branches of government complement each other rather than oppose one another. This does not mean that there is no debate; I must emphasize that there is a constant debate between the government and the National Assembly, and moreover, there is also continuous debate within the government,” the Prime Minister declared.