“I think Nikol Pashinyan is a talented person, I have very practical and respectful relations with him, my contribution will definitely have a role to help the government succeed. Otherwise, this whole movement would turn out to be meaningless, it would be a waste of all the hopes that people have for the future”, in response to the journalists’ question whether he thinks that the opposition leader, Nikol Pashinyan, who is already the head of government, will justify the people’s hopes, said President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sargsyan.
He, along with other high-ranking officials, visited the Victory Park to congratulate and pay tribute the May 9 victory of Shushi and to commemorate the victims of the Great Patriotic War.
Armen Sargsyan congratulated for the victories and said that today is the first day of the new republic: “Many things have changed in our country since yesterday, we have a new Prime Minister. The majority of the people hope that tomorrow will be better”.
The President said he has hopes too.
In response to the question whether how he treats the fact that he was nominated by a person whom the society rejected, Mr. Sargsyan said: “I was nominated by the third president of the republic. I could have been nominated if Nikol Pashinyan was nominated and had the opportunity to have my candidacy in the National Assembly passed by Mr. Tsarukyan or the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, then I would think thoroughly, and maybe I would accept. My problem is not who has nominated me, the important thing is that I am ready to serve my country. If I serve well, then I am a good president, if I do not serve well then I am not a good president. I think the same parliament, which has elected me, has also elected Mr. Pashinyan. So the problem is not who nominated, and how. The problem is whether we will be able to turn our country into the country that each of you and I have dreamed for 26 years”.
The President also answered the question, that it is said there are going to be fundamental changes, whether should not many political figures who are part of the government, officials who have plundered the country, the state budget, be arrested: “I am neither a judge nor a representative of the government. We have Prime Minister today. I hope the Prime Minister will soon be able to form a new government and give a solution to a lot of problems: economic or injustice, related to corruption or the welfare. As for assessments: the assessment of individuals is already given: the people and time. Other than this it is not me to judge”.
Armen Sargsyan also said that the revolution for him was a revolution in Armenian style: “We should be proud of today’s Armenia because no other country has been able to do this in the last decades”.
He also said that he follows the international press and Armenia’s rating has risen by one level.
Lusine BUDAGHYAN
