Government elected by the people must live up to that trust, Armenian president tells Nikol Pashinyan

President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Presidential Residence.

During a formal ceremony, President Khachaturyan signed a decree appointing Nikol Pashinyan Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia following his nomination by the Civil Contract faction of the National Assembly.

“It is a great honour for me, under Article 149 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, to sign the decree appointing you Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, following the nomination I received from the political majority in the National Assembly.

I sincerely congratulate you and wish you great patience, resilience and determination to lead us through these difficult times and guide the country towards a prosperous future.

I am also confident that your principled approach will contribute to strengthening the statehood of the Republic of Armenia, based on constitutional principles and for the benefit of the peaceful and dignified future of the people of the Republic of Armenia.

Congratulations, Mr Prime Minister,” Khachaturyan said during the meeting, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan thanked President Khachaturyan for the invitation and for signing the decree in a formal ceremonial setting.

“Thank you also for your words, trust and support. I must honestly say that in 2018, when I assumed the office of Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia following the people’s non-violent Velvet Revolution, it would have been difficult to predict that we would travel such a path, and I believe it would also have been difficult to predict that we would be capable of overcoming it.

But we are where we are, and I believe that the key role and significance in all this unquestionably and unequivocally belong to the people of the Republic of Armenia, who throughout this entire period demonstrated a remarkable sense of state consciousness and commitment to the state. This, of course, places a great obligation and responsibility upon us.

The government will be formed in the near future, and all members of the government, including myself, will formally affirm our obligations to our people through the text of the oath.

I would also like to thank you for the address you delivered from the National Assembly rostrum today. You conveyed very important messages, which I followed attentively. I hope that the ninth-convocation National Assembly will ultimately become an arena for the clash of political ideas, thoughts and visions rather than clashes between individuals.

Today I also saw that the candidate for Speaker of the National Assembly nominated by the Civil Contract party, Mr Rubinyan, conveyed the same message, demonstrating the readiness of the Civil Contract faction to work in parliament without personal or personalised attacks, profanity or insults.

Debates should and will, of course, be intense, but it is very important what that intensity concerns. It should concern political, economic and socioeconomic substance rather than mutual personal attacks.

In any case, we have heard your message and will be guided by it. I hope we will succeed in not deviating from this course, because the process does not depend on one side alone. If the opposition also considers this approach acceptable, I believe we will have much higher-quality work.

Mr President, once again, I would like to thank you for the support you have shown throughout this entire period. Of course, we do not fully publicise all our meetings and joint work because we maintain a very close dialogue at the working level and discuss numerous issues. Throughout this period, in both official and informal contacts, I have always seen and felt your support, for which I am grateful,” Pashinyan said.

At the end of the meeting, President Khachaturyan again thanked the prime minister for the trust that exists among the government, the Office of the President and the National Assembly.

“I personally participate in the most important state decisions, an opportunity that you have provided, although such opportunities are, in essence, very limited under the Constitution.

That trust also convinces me that the policies you pursue as head of the government and leader of the political majority will contribute to strengthening the Republic of Armenia, reinforcing Armenia’s sovereignty and, unquestionably, building a strong future for Armenia.

Once again, I wish you success, willpower, resilience and strength, because what many people, including citizens of the Republic of Armenia, see from the outside is only the external part. The internal circumstances, of which many people are unaware, require the principled approach that you have demonstrated over these years.

You rightly noted that in 2018 we could not have imagined that such developments would take place not only in our region but throughout the world. We must be able, as you say and always emphasise, to make the processes taking place manageable. I would also like to make a brief observation regarding the political environment in general. The opportunity granted to citizens of the Republic of Armenia by the Constitution to elect their government has become a reality. This was always a dream for us. For years, our people made their choice, but unfortunately, power was taken away from them. Since 2018, our people have made their choice and received the authority they elected. The government elected by the people has an obligation and must live up to the trust it receives from the people. But there is another important factor. The stability and strength of the state depend not only on the political majority that assumes power, but also on the opposition. Just as society in a democratic country needs a capable political majority, the opposition has an even more important role and significance. We must do everything together, including working with the opposition. I have also heard Mr Rubinyan’s messages. I am confident that you are determined to create that situation and atmosphere because, ultimately, we must all have one common goal: to have a strong and powerful Republic of Armenia. Thank you,” Vahagn Khachaturyan concluded.

The inaugural session of the parliament formed following the parliamentary elections held in Armenia on June 7 opened on August 2. Under the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, the government was required to submit its resignation on the day of the first sitting of the newly elected parliament.

On August 2, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed the government’s resignation letter addressed to the President of the Republic, which was subsequently sent to the Office of the President. President Vahagn Khachaturyan accepted the government’s resignation. Under Article 149, Part 1 of the Constitution, the president was then required to appoint as prime minister the candidate nominated by the political force holding the parliamentary majority.

The Civil Contract party, which holds the parliamentary majority, nominated Nikol Pashinyan for the post of prime minister, after which President Vahagn Khachaturyan signed a decree appointing him Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.