At Inauguration, Sargisian Vows to Deal with Emigration, Unemployment, Poverty

“Thereby they expressed their discontent with the problems existing in the country. By doing so, they sent a clear message to the authorities, demanding more efficient work. Rest assured that all messages are duly received,” he said. The newly sworn-in president stressed economic development as top priority for the next five years.

“Let me highlight three main ones: emigration, unemployment, and poverty. The solutions for these problems are to be found on the same field. Efficient economy that is on the rise, this is the formula to our success. The second priority is in ensuring the rule of law. Equality of everyone before the law is a binding prerequisite both for our economic and political advancement. The third priority, most directly linked to the one before, the rule of law, is the deepening of democracy,” he said.

He stressed that in the area of foreign policy, a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno Karabagh issue is and will remain a priority for as long as necessary to arrive at a final solution, at the same time, consistently work to enhance the level of Armenia’s security.

“We have never terrorized our own people with war. Moreover, we have never used this issue as an excuse to gag the opposition. However, we deemed it our duty to earnestly and realistically state that such a threat does exist,” said the president.

Sargisian then completed his statement by a call to move from words to actions:

“Through the electoral campaign we all enjoyed ample opportunities for exposure and introducing our programs. At the same time, each of us was eager to get our ideas down fully and succinctly. Elections do not mark a destination; they signify a new phase. This is the phase for unrelenting and persistent work. The time has come to move from words to work, to reinforce words with work,” he said.