This is a country which has bright eyes looking into the future

 The President of the Republic of Armenia, Chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan participated today at the 13th RPA Convention at the Karen Demirjian Sport and Concert Complex. At the Convention, President Serzh Sargsyan presented a summary report.

“Today, it is obvious for me: if we do not change, we will miss it, we will be late as a nation and as a state, President of the Republic of Armenia, President of the Republican Party of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan addressed the 13th Republican Convention. “We have no right to miss the train or airplane of history.”

“The moment in history has come, when the people of Armenia, all of us, should prove in practice what’s more dear to us – wicked habits inherited from the past, whose inertia is still present in our lives, or achievements of modern civilization? A civilization, whose roots and twigs were cultivated also by our greats. Personally I have made my choice. I have no doubt: only this way we will prevail and multiply the number of our friends all over the world,” President said.

President has ensured in his speech the changes have no alternatives: “Let’s believe so that to be able to change us and our country, to be able to change our mentality and attitude toward the state of Armenia. Let’s change our behavior on the streets, at the working place, in the university. Let’s change people who are not on their places. Let’s change the laws if they are far from being perfect. Let’s change the culture of internal political struggle. Let’s change to be able to trust people and the law. Let’s change so that streets, ministries, universities, villages and towns, parliament and backyard become ours, become better. As long as we don’t change and don’t believe, they do not belong to us, to us all. If you don’t trust your member of the parliament, it means you don’t have one; if you don’t trust your judge, it means you don’t have one; if you don’t believe in your country, it means you don’t have one. Through this self-negation we have inflicted great damage on our own home. This will takes us nowhere. We must believe to be able to change.”

According to President trust also needs constant nourishment. “Each new change has great potential for strengthening trust. Trust and change: these are mutually determined and mutually fortifying phenomena. So, let’s change to trust. Let’s nourish our trust with concrete work. Let’s change the appearance of our country to a degree that a person, who left Armenia years ago, doesn’t recognize it on his next visit, and is pleasantly surprised.”

“There are numerous negative phenomena in our country and our society that were inherited from the past and which go on by inertia. To change first of all means to break that inertia and implant new traditions. It is true for every area of our activities – from traffic on the streets to the elections. We have to conduct good elections regardless of the fact that today some others are getting ready not for the elections but are developing technical capability to present them flawed. All generations living in Armenia – young and old, have an historic obligation to implant new traditions which befit a civilized person of the 21st century,” Serzh Sargsyan said adding: “There are many among us, who have visited abroad and drew comparison with Armenia, looked with admiring envy at good and nice things observed there. Also felt pain that the same is not present in Armenia. Why can’t we change it? Are we second to anyone? Let’s change so as to trust our abilities and our possibilities. Let’s change so that a civil servant and a citizen have self-respect. The new Armenia starts from the dignified posture of each of us.”

Concluding his remarks, President of Armenia and Republican Party stated: “Paryur Sevak used to say, “We have no right to miss the train or airplane of history.” Today, it is obvious for me: if we do not change, we will miss it, we will be late as a nation and as a state. Those who brought us the Vehamayr Gospel manuscript (named after the mother of Catholicos Vazgen of All Armenians, who donated it to Matenadaran) through the depth of times had faith. I was sworn in on that Bible. I believe in what we do and even more in what we will do. Thus, let’s believe to be able to change. Big and small, a worker and a scientist, a successful person and the one who’s still in search; let’s believe to be able to change.”