Armen Sarkissian and Nikol Pashinian discussed issues related to the country’s development: it is essential that state institutions function in sync

President Armen Sarkissian today at the Presidential Palace had a working meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

Armen Sarkissian and Nikol Pashinian discussed issues of the current agenda and development programs.

The interlocutors stressed the importance of traditional, regular meetings as an efficient platform for the exchange of views on our country’s development pace and vision.

President Armen Sarkissian: Mr. Prime Minister, I am glad to meet with you again today.

In the morning, we met at the Eghern memorial where together with the Speaker of the National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan and Minister of Foreign Affairs Zohrab Mnatsakanian we paid tribute to the memory of all victims of all genocides and spoke about the avenues for the assessment and re-assessment of the Mets Eghern.

I am glad that tonight we are having our regular meeting and I believe it is important for both sides. I would be glad to discuss all existing issues, problems which are essential today for our people, as well as to hear from you about the accomplishments of the government or, if there are some areas where I can be useful, as you know, I am always ready.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian: Thank you, Mr. President. I am too, glad to have this meeting today. Our working meetings are of a regular nature and in recent months I believe you and me have been working on a pretty intensive agenda, and it is very important to share the results of that work with each other because I trust, in general, it is important and urgent that the state institutions in our country work in sync.

Yes, today in the morning on the occasion of the International Day of the Prevention of Genocides we paid our tribute to the memory of all victims of genocides and noted that for us the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not only an issue of historical fact and justice but also of our significant contribution to the global prevention of genocides.

And certainly, we have said it before that we view the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide as an important component of security for Armenia and the Armenian people. We have spoken on this topic before and will speak again to decide on our future steps. In addition, it is the end of the year and it is very important for us to start to recap the results of the year. A couple of days ago, the law on the state budget for 2020 was adopted and I noted that we were concluding the year with pretty good economic numbers which is important for us so that we enter the next year more confidently. And certainly, I believe that to recap the year, we need to register also the shortcomings in our work, faults, difficulties which are of course unavoidable. However, it doesn’t mean we will not take steps aimed at their elimination and more efficient work. And you, of course, mentioned your position with regard of assisting the activities of the government and the National Assembly. It is very important to take note, and I do take note with pleasure that the President of the Republic, Government and the National Assembly have formed a very good working environment and cooperation is pretty good. No doubt, it’s a very gratifying fact, especially in the framework of the logic of the new constitutional arrangements; on the other hand, we have an agreement to do our best to make that cooperation even more efficient.

President Armen Sarkissian: It is certainly true. I would like to repeat you on this and say that cooperation of our state institutions is a cornerstone and is essential. Recently I was asked: when your presidential term is over, what you will see as your greatest achievement? I said that my greatest achievement would be that leaving the position of president, I would be sure that the presidential institute in this new, parliamentary system was fully established, and I would pass on to the next president an institute which has traditions and its own weight, has a tradition of working and cooperating with the government and the National Assembly.

You are right that one of the basic factors for our country’s stability, development, and security is our well-synchronized work. I also agree with you on what you said on the recognition of Eghern. The recognition of Eghern is not an end in itself but rather has a number of connotations.

Among the most important of them is our national security.
It is the end of the year, and we need to review our success, difficulties or even mistakes, as well as to make plans for the next year. It is critical that the next year is a successful year. It is a very important year. It is will be a year when cooperation among our state structures will deepen, we will have greater success, and will look into the future more confidently.