Armenian presidential candidate on his future plans
01.03.2018,
16:51
Armenia’s ambassador to UK Armen Sarkissian, nominated by the ruling Republican Party of Armenia and its junior coalition partner Armenian Revolutionary Federation/Dashnaktsutyun as a candidate for the post of president, presented today to parliament members the main challenges he will work to respond to if elected by lawmakers, Novosti-Armenia news agency reported.
YEREVAN, March 1. /ARKA/. Armenia’s ambassador to UK Armen Sarkissian, nominated by the ruling Republican Party of Armenia and its junior coalition partner Armenian Revolutionary Federation/Dashnaktsutyun as a candidate for the post of president, presented today to parliament members the main challenges he will work to respond to if elected by lawmakers, Novosti-Armenia news agency reported. The election is slated for March 2.
In his opening remarks, the presidential candidate, first of all, paid tribute to the memory of those who were killed in the tragic events on March 1, 2008.
"Exactly 10 years ago the Armenian people faced a difficult challenge, as a result of which we suffered irreversible losses. I know that the deputies of the National Assembly honored the memory of the victims with a minute of silence. I want to pay tribute to the memory of the victims of these tragic events," Armen Sarkissian said.
He thanked the Republican Party of Armenia and the incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan for the confidence in him noting that he considers his election to this post as an opportunity "to contribute to the solution of the most important problems of the country."
"This is not only a great honor for me, but also a great responsibility, especially given the fact that Armenia is entering a new stage of development, making a transition to a parliamentary model of government," Armen Sarkissian said.
Speaking about the polarization of the Armenian society he said social stratification has intensified in recent years .
‘In the early 90's, we had a single goal - to win the war imposed on us and the polarization was not so visible. Now the republic has become stronger, but social polarization has intensified," he said.
The presidential candidate noted that there is a lot of work to be done to solve this problem. According to him, in the next 26 years the country must go without repeating the previous mistakes.
He stressed also that Armenia may become a legal and a social state if it provides for the implementation of the constitutional principle that citizens of the country are the greatest value.
Armen Sarkissian spoke also about the need to implement economic reforms and intensify public life. "For this we need qualitative changes in the system of state administration. It is necessary to increase the productivity of the state apparatus. This will ensure positive changes in the social and economic life, which, taking into account the constitutional reforms of 2015, has become an objective necessity," Sarkissian said.
He spoke also about innovative education, paying special attention to modern education and the educational system in the age of new technologies, saying that the Armenian people have every chance to become successful.
"However, for that we need to solve one more problem - the problem of education, which in this century should be innovative, we must recreate the education system, by preserving the best and build the system based on the realities of the 21st century," he said.
Sarkissian noted also that no one will invest in Armenia until corruption is eradicated and justice and market freedom are ensured.
‘The laws adopted in the country should not be survivals of the past century," he stressed. The presidential candidate also said that the main investments in Armenia should be channeled into the human capital.
"Investors should be sure that we have a fair system of justice. They must be sure that the real fight against corruption is going on in the country, but it is also important that investors feel comfortable in our country from the point of culture,’ he said.
Armen Sarkissian said also that if elected, he is ready to direct all his experience to solve the problems of Armenia, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the Diaspora.
"I will work within the framework of the Constitution, but I will also work in accordance with my honor and conscience. I will fulfill not only the duties of the president, but also the duties of a citizen of Armenia," he said. He also noted that he will try to be president for both Armenian citizens and Armenians in the Diaspora.-0-
In his opening remarks, the presidential candidate, first of all, paid tribute to the memory of those who were killed in the tragic events on March 1, 2008.
"Exactly 10 years ago the Armenian people faced a difficult challenge, as a result of which we suffered irreversible losses. I know that the deputies of the National Assembly honored the memory of the victims with a minute of silence. I want to pay tribute to the memory of the victims of these tragic events," Armen Sarkissian said.
He thanked the Republican Party of Armenia and the incumbent president Serzh Sargsyan for the confidence in him noting that he considers his election to this post as an opportunity "to contribute to the solution of the most important problems of the country."
"This is not only a great honor for me, but also a great responsibility, especially given the fact that Armenia is entering a new stage of development, making a transition to a parliamentary model of government," Armen Sarkissian said.
Speaking about the polarization of the Armenian society he said social stratification has intensified in recent years .
‘In the early 90's, we had a single goal - to win the war imposed on us and the polarization was not so visible. Now the republic has become stronger, but social polarization has intensified," he said.
The presidential candidate noted that there is a lot of work to be done to solve this problem. According to him, in the next 26 years the country must go without repeating the previous mistakes.
He stressed also that Armenia may become a legal and a social state if it provides for the implementation of the constitutional principle that citizens of the country are the greatest value.
Armen Sarkissian spoke also about the need to implement economic reforms and intensify public life. "For this we need qualitative changes in the system of state administration. It is necessary to increase the productivity of the state apparatus. This will ensure positive changes in the social and economic life, which, taking into account the constitutional reforms of 2015, has become an objective necessity," Sarkissian said.
He spoke also about innovative education, paying special attention to modern education and the educational system in the age of new technologies, saying that the Armenian people have every chance to become successful.
"However, for that we need to solve one more problem - the problem of education, which in this century should be innovative, we must recreate the education system, by preserving the best and build the system based on the realities of the 21st century," he said.
Sarkissian noted also that no one will invest in Armenia until corruption is eradicated and justice and market freedom are ensured.
‘The laws adopted in the country should not be survivals of the past century," he stressed. The presidential candidate also said that the main investments in Armenia should be channeled into the human capital.
"Investors should be sure that we have a fair system of justice. They must be sure that the real fight against corruption is going on in the country, but it is also important that investors feel comfortable in our country from the point of culture,’ he said.
Armen Sarkissian said also that if elected, he is ready to direct all his experience to solve the problems of Armenia, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and the Diaspora.
"I will work within the framework of the Constitution, but I will also work in accordance with my honor and conscience. I will fulfill not only the duties of the president, but also the duties of a citizen of Armenia," he said. He also noted that he will try to be president for both Armenian citizens and Armenians in the Diaspora.-0-
