Republican Party of Armenia

 On October 10, the Prime Minister-led government delegation attended an official reception dedicated to Armenia’s Independence Day, which was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia to the United States. The event was attended by ambassadors accredited in Washington D.C., senior officials from the U.S. State Department and other government agencies, the World Bank and the IMF, leaders of Armenian organizations, representatives of the Armenian community. The Prime Minister delivered a speech, stating in part:

“I congratulate all of us on the independence of the Republic of Armenia. While we are celebrating the Independence Day of September 21 with some delay, but what matters most is that each day of independence is dear to us. Every single day is a day of work and action to advance the country, tackle a problem or another concern. Anyway, on behalf of the Government of Armenia, I can assure you that we are trying hard to achieve this very objective.

Independence gave us the opportunity to opt for a future. And we made our choice all together as a single nation. We have opted for a future where Armenia - the homeland of all Armenians - should be a dynamically developing modern country.

During the 23 years of independence, much has been done, indeed. In less than two decades, a modern State was built over the ruins left by the earthquake and the flames of the war, strong enough to protect itself and sufficiently organized to address the challenges faced.

Today’s Armenia is the embodiment of our people’s centuries-old dream. Of course, it is still far from representing fully our long-cherished vision of the future. Much has to be done yet on this way with the same enthusiasm, the same single will and unity we had while choosing our future - the future of a sovereign country and a proud people.

The Armenian government is doing everything to become a pillar for investors and entrepreneurs, to open up new opportunities for large enterprises and prop up small and medium businesses.

The efforts aimed at providing new export opportunities and commissioning new production facilities should be continued with as much determination. The problems faced by our farmers in the countryside cannot be ignored in any way and will be kept in focus. These and numerous other priorities call for every day’s hard work, the impact of which will be visible in the near future.

Dear compatriots!

It is an honor to speak to such a distinguished audience. The Armenian community in the United States, of course, holds a special place in the Motherland-Diaspora relations. Here we have one of the most organized and influential communities in the world, of which we are truly proud. I believe it to be an even more binding factor, the awareness of which can be seen in the vigorous activities carried out by both the U.S.-based Armenian individuals and organizations.

Strong interstate relationship has been built with the United States on the basis of mutual respect and trust after the reinstatement of Armenia’s independence. Our bilateral relations are at the highest level today: we have an impressive amount of interaction and successful contacts. A top-level political dialogue is upheld in the spirit of close partnership.

We appreciate the support that the U.S. Government has extended since the very first days of independence to promote democracy, civil society and a free economy in Armenia.

We also appreciate those important programs that the U.S. Agency for International Development has been implementing in our country since 1992. We are grateful to the American legislators for the financial assistance provided annually to Armenia and Artsakh and, of course, we are grateful to our compatriots living in the United States for their important and visible role in the development of U.S.-Armenian relations and implementation of so many programs.

The Armenian-American friendship is durable as it is based on shared values. Our positions can be described as coinciding on major issues of international relevance, which provides new opportunities for the deepening of our cooperation with the United States.

Dear compatriots!

A few days ago during a meeting with the representatives of the Armenian community in the East Coast, President Sargsyan urged the audience to pay frequent visits to Armenia and, once back to the USA, to share their impressions with as many people as possible, including non-Armenians by telling them about the essence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the indisputable right of the Artsakh people to control their own destiny in their own land, Turkey’s hypocritical diplomacy and the Armenian Cause, but also about today’s Armenia, its attractiveness and achievements.

We all know very well how much negative information is being circulated about Armenia and the Armenian reality. Part of this information is complete nonsense, financed by one of “the most democratic countries in the world” – Azerbaijan and, of course, its elder brother - Turkey. We are well aware of this.

Dear friends,

Armenia is a very good country for doing business and it will become even better from day to day. Armenia is a nice country and will get even nicer tomorrow. Armenia is our common Motherland, the home of all Armenians, and there is no place warmer and more familiar than Armenia.

Together, we will free it from all those challenges and bottlenecks that impede the country’s development. I would call on everybody not to doubt it.”