Remarks by President Serzh Sargsyan at the RA President’s GIT Award Ceremony

Distinguished Mr. Mazzola,

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

I am glad to welcome and greet you at the President’s Palace.

It is indeed a joyful occasion to meet. Today I have an honor to hand the RA President’s Global IT (GIT) Award to the Chief Development Officer of Cisco Systems, Inc.

Neither Cisco Systems nor Mr. Mazzola needs special introduction. Everyone, who has more or less dealt with information technology, should be well-aware of these names.

It is said that a talented person is talented in everything. I strongly believe that Mr. Mazzola’s talent should have been revealed in any area he had chosen to dedicate his life to. Nevertheless, it has happened in the area of information technology, and it is now best utilized at Cisco Systems, Inc.

Today Cisco’s engineering and technological solutions are probably used in almost every single country of the world. Those are utilized in mechanical engineering, mining industry, construction, trade, finance and banking, insurance and in a number of other areas. Any country around the globe not making use of Cisco’s work has placed itself out of the frame of civilization.

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

The GIT Award of the President of the Republic of Armenia has already got five years’ history. Therefore, this ceremony also celebrates an anniversary of this prize.

And today we can assert confidently that this award is well-established and widely recognized internationally. With this prize, we express our gratitude to those people, who say a new word in the IT area, and contribute to creation of more favorable conditions for the development of humanity.

But through this award we also direct a special message to our youth. Today’s ceremony is symbolic and pregnant with the slogan of the Cisco Systems, Inc.: Tomorrow starts here. I am confident that Mr. Mazzola will serve as a role-model for Armenian youth, inspiring it to achieve further success in the area of information technology.

Distinguished Mr. Mazzola,

I am very glad that you have arrived in Yerevan accompanied by your family members, your wife and daughter. I hope that during your stay you will learn about our country, our people’s history and present. As for us, we always look forward to seeing our friends and are ready to give them our warmth.

I wish you good health, all the best and success and, of course, further achievements in your favorite work that has made you famous worldwide. Please be assured that we have always been happy and will be happy for your success.

Thank you for finding it convenient to come and receive this modest award in person.