Republican Party of Armenia

Today, on May 9, our nation marks the 69th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War and the 22nd anniversary of Shushi liberation.

To attend the Peace and Victory Day celebrations in Yerevan, accompanied by members of legislative and executive bodies and clergy representatives, Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan visited today the Victory Park in Yerevan. The Prime Minister laid a wreath at the monument to the Unknown Soldier and paid tribute to those heroes who fell in the Great Patriotic War and the fight for Shushi liberation.

As he addressed the veterans at a news briefing, the Prime Minister congratulated them, stating in part, “We highly appreciate the contribution of our war veterans, because they were able to uphold our nation’s dignity during the Great Patriotic War. They will always enjoy our deep respect. We, the authorities, are bound by duty to honor the path they covered. We are proud of them and wish them robust health and long life. As hard as we might be trying, it would be impossible to overstate their contribution.”

The head of government next answered the journalists’ questions regarding our country’s home and foreign policies. Referring to the government program, he noted in particular, “The proposed changes to the program should not be an end in itself: the new program should be as much realistic as possible. It is important for us to state what we can do. I do not expect major changes as the program is under consideration now, but again, I want to say that all provisions must be clearly defined in the program, because my goal is to make it a reality. The Cabinet members have been set the task to comply with the responsibilities assumed under the new program; otherwise we will not have a way to go together. This is my principled approach. We can no longer afford waste of time: we must try to solve the problems facing our nation and the State. Indeed, everyone understands that we cannot do it all at once, but the public should be confident that the program will be completed within the stated timelines and this is what matters most to me.”

Answering the question on the restoration of public confidence, the Prime Minister said, “Of course, I feel that there is an atmosphere of mistrust. For this very reason, we will try to recover the public’s trust by means of realistic programs, actions and non-standard decisions. We have a serious problem in the economic sector: economic growth should be a priority to the Government. I will do everything to provide a level playing field, so that each investor might understand and see that everyone is equal in the economic field. Of course, it will be hard to achieve, but we are determined to do so, since there is no alternative to it. Everyone needs to realize it clearly, including my relatives. I am going to start with me, and this is a principled approach.”

Concerning OSCE Minsk group co-chair James Warlick’s recent statement on the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict, Hovik Abrahamyan said as follows, “This issue must be settled based on the following three principles: self-determination, territorial integrity and non-use of force.”

Regarding the Government’s human resource policy, the Premier pointed out, “In forming the new Cabinet, I was guided by the single principle that the government members ought to be highly experienced. We have no time to lose: our objectives must be clearly defined and pursued consistently. The ministers are given the opportunity to work for the good of our motherland and people. There might be rumors and speculations, but I would ask you to take your time and let us do what we intend. The public’s opinion has always carried great weight with me, so transparency will be at heart of our proceedings.”

After watching the military parade, Hovik Abrahamyan had a field luncheon with the veterans, talked to them and wished them good health.