“Dear Chair, dear deputies of the National Assembly, I am thankful for nominating me as candidate in the post of the National Assembly Speaker. I express my gratitude to the RA President, for such trust to my Republican colleagues. That trust makes me to be more responsible in this transitive phase of the development of our country. I realize very well, and I am convinced that the efficiency of the political decision of passing into parliamentary system of government, and its implementation will be conditioned not only by the right choice of the system of government, but also by everybody’s responsibility, hard and consistent work.
Dear colleagues, we listened to the RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s address to the National Assembly and our people, a comprehensive and distinct programme. They were not mere words, but a simple guide in terms of our future works.
As a candidate of the National Assembly Speaker, now I will briefly present the key provisions of my vision.
As we know, the power of the Republic of Armenia belongs to the people, who by their vote formed this National Assembly. Taking as a basis this simple truth, during my tenure I will always be led by a conscience that I am a Speaker of the National Assembly formed by the vote of the public, which will multiply the degree of my responsibility. Based on this conviction I assure you that all my working steps will stem from the interests of our state and people.
My words are more strengthened when we observe the recent elections of the National Assembly. It is a fact for all of us that these elections differed from all other elections with high organization, possible decrease of violations and lack of falsifications. We achieved all this as a result of united work, manifestation of high political will of power and opposition and joint work. I assure you that such examples of joint work will increase. I also assure you that I will do my best to more strengthen the cooperation of power and opposition, which will be aimed at the development and progress of the Republic of Armenia.
The Republic of Armenia is a self-sovereign, democratic, social and legal state. The man is of high value in the Republic of Armenia, thus, my vision, all programmes and actions cannot differ from these principles.
As a Speaker of the National Assembly of a self-sovereign state, I will promote the rule of the state power inside the country, and the full independence in foreign relations.
As a Speaker of the National Assembly of a social state, I consider necessary the elaboration and the implementation of the social policy strategy. I observe necessary the active involvement of the civil society and opposition.
I deem of key importance the provision of the necessary legal field for the business liberalization. In this context I would like to underline that full conditions will be created in the legislative body for the favourable implementation of the programmes aimed at the development of the economy initiated by the government, as well as the private sector.
The whole activity of the legal state is based on the rule of law, and its main goal is based on the protection of human rights. In the new parliament the legislators’ efforts should be aimed at more strengthening of the rule of law and the rise of degree of protection of human rights.
Dear colleagues, as an Armenian, for me there are three key components of strengthening the state: security, health and education.
We are obliged to ensure internal and external security of our country, ensure state power, and strengthen our borders, our army and state. In this context Nation-Army concept is worth of attention. With this regard we are simply obliged to strengthen and develop the defensive capabilities of our armed forces.
Dear colleagues,
the parliamentary diplomacy is one of the important spheres of the activities of the National Assembly. We should more efficiently use our professional, cognitive, human and diplomatic whole potential, the possibilities of cooperation with different countries for protecting our state and national interest in the international platforms. To register successes in this sphere we are obliged to work more actively in a number of international and inter-parliamentary structures, among them, the Inter-parliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS PA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO PA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), NATO Parliamentary Assembly and a number of other organizations. I propose you to pay special attention to the deputies’ activities at the level of Inter-parliamentary Committees and Friendship Groups.
I consider important our active cooperation with the Diaspora.
Dear parliament, summing up my speech, I express my deepest gratitude to you once again for the trust.”