YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has participated in a formal reception on New Year and Christmas holidays for representatives of the state administration system. President Armen Sarkissian, Catholicos Garegin II and outgoing Speaker of Parliament Ara Babloyan were also in attendance.

“The main question that arises in the 2018-2019 boundary is the following: can we do the things we talk about? This question certainly has one answer, it is positive, but simultaneously with this answer there are conditions. Yes, we can, if we are able to believe in our powers, and in order to believe in our powers it is necessary for us to be able to believe in our mission. Our government is a government of a mission that must realize its mission, because it is developed on the faith and trust of our people for the past and future.

This mission is developed on the perception that a people who have passed through centuries-old disasters cannot lose because if it were a losing people this defeat would had arrived long ago. Therefore, the Armenian people is a winner and in 2018 the Armenian people proved this.

We must realize that all issues and tasks that we are developing are assigned to us by the people. All of these issues are solvable and we must solve them on the basis that all of us must understand and record – the solution of these issues is here and there [in the mind and heart]. If we are able to adhere to this formula, we will definitely solve all issues before us.

And the past eight months have proven that we have sufficient will, sufficient coherency, sufficient strength, sufficient people’s support for solving these issues.

I would like to thank all those present for their work during this period, and I want to congratulate for the joint work. Although I can’t say that we have done everything that we would have liked to have finished already, I can’t not mention that during this period we have done the most important thing – we have proved that we are capable of solving the issues set before us, regardless of how likely the solution of these issues seems to anyone.

I congratulate us all on the years of 2018 and 2019. I am sure that just like 2018, 2019 will also be a year of victories, but they [victories] must be greater, more encompassing and more strategic victories. Happy New Year to your families, happy New year to the staff of all ministries, I wish you good luck in your work and in your personal life. Thank you,” Pashinyan said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan