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PRESIDENT SARGSYAN MEETS CIVIL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES AHEAD OF 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE
armradio.am
14.09.2011 12:42
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of independence, President
Serzh Sargsyan held a reception at the National Gallery, attended
by representatives of Armenia's civil society - political parties,
mass media, Public Council and non-governmental organizations.
The President of Armenia congratulated the attendees on the occasion
of the holiday and wished them all the best. In his congratulatory
remarks President Serzh Sargsyan stated, in part:
"Distinguished representatives of the Political Parties, Mass
Media, Public Council and Non-governmental Organizations, Ladies
and Gentlemen,
I salute you all and congratulate on the occasion of the 20th
anniversary of Armenia's independence.
A centuries-long dream of our nation to have an independent state
has become a reality, which is now twenty years old. On September 21,
1991 we, in fact, opened a new page in the Armenian history and today
we all together fill it with a content. We fill it through serving,
teaching, creating, making decisions, differing and pointing out
mistakes, elucidating, growing bounty, and curing.
Together, we have already written down glorious lines about Artsakh,
maturing social and political environment, irreversible processes of
building institutions which befit a modern state and have issued a
certificate of confidence for a young country to move forward.
However, very often these "inscriptions" are also about poverty,
violated rights and social hardships: these "inscriptions" are yet
incomplete - they are to be revised and amended. We will put a period
in these sentences together, and I have no doubt about that. Why?
Because I know that despite existing different and differing
approaches, one thing is absolutely undeniable: it is our unconditional
love for our country, and that's more than enough for having confidence
in Armenia's future. Everything can change, but nothing can change
this conviction of mine.
There is no doubt that twenty years is a solid and binding jubilee,
which our people have reached leaving behind a difficult and honorable
road. All these years we have been living the joy of achievements
together. We have also had bitter loses, however we never lost one
of the most important achievements of our independence - the right
to speak free and open about shortcomings present in our life.
Shortcomings and hardships can discourage every, even the most
established society if there is no confidence that there is a will
and ability to conquer and eradicate them. People will not overcome
hardships standing shoulder to shoulder if there is no mutual trust; on
the contrary, they will turn with suspicion even hatred, opening their
backs to that very hardships. It is obvious: no effort is enough to
strengthen mutual trust among all members of our society. It applies
to everyone.
For two decades we have been working toward the establishment in our
country of a political culture based on competition. A situation,
in which the aspiration to assume responsibility for the country's
development and state administration can be achieved only by proving
to the people the validity of the proposed course. A situation,
when there is more than one truth, when the good has to make way for
the best, and when the ambition to be the right and the best can be
established only through competition - publicly, in front of everyone,
by competing with ideas and vision, by being persuasive.
However, no competition, political competition cannot direct a country
toward the best course, if ends of those competing are subordinate
to the means, or when the ends justify the means, if they compete
for sake of competing, if they win for sake of winning.
Therefore, political competition ought to go hand in hand with
political cooperation. Joint path of the competition and cooperation
is narrow indeed; it is also unsteady, while the rims of the
nation-racking abyss are wide, numerous and slippery. They are
passable only for those who has acquired wisdom in that struggle,
who was able to stop in that relentless struggle and offer his hand
to the opponent, whose battle cry has not turned into a curse, who
comprehends the meaning of the words uttered by Prince Artavazd:
eternal disgrace of the one who's condemned to reign over ruins.
Today, we can take pride in the achievement which confirms the maturity
of our state. We have been able not only to lay the foundation of our
statehood but also to start the construction of a strong edifice. Our
political parties and society have been able to mature passing a
very difficult road, to find the path of political competition and
cooperation and move forward.
>>From now on, we may not deviate from that path. We will compete,
but hand in hand. We will struggle on the political arena but never
rolling down from that arena, never rolling that arena away, never
rolling away the people.
The Public Council, which is endowed with huge social capital, plays
an important and key role in the establishment of the atmosphere of
trust in our country. It has provided a new opportunity for open and
free discussions in our society. I am confident that the Council has
yet much work to do and that it will continue to contribute to the
growth of accord and solidarity in our society.
We all, including mass media and non-governmental organizations
must continue our work aimed at the consolidation of Armenia's civil
society. Nobody will do it for us.
Twenty-year old history also heralds the advent of a new generation.
Today, the generation, which was born in our independent Motherland
and matured together with our state, enters the social and political
realm of the country. These are people who've never been citizens of
another state.
We have always been keeping record of our achievements and failings;
however, we often forget the greatest achievement which has been
strengthening from year to year - the independence generation, which
must be and will be free of mental bonds, which will be more liberated
and progressive, which will be more able and aim-oriented. We,
their parents, the older generation, who carried on their shoulder
the burden of state- and armybuilding, who carried the burden of
transformation, are more than proud to see and welcome the dawn
of a new generation. Mass media and non-governmental institutions,
political unions - the most important institutions of Armenia's civil
society are among those attractive areas in which the new generation
makes its first steps.
I wish success to you all and once again with unconcealed pride
congratulate on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of our
Motherland's, the Republic of Armenia's independence."
armradio.am
14.09.2011 12:42
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of independence, President
Serzh Sargsyan held a reception at the National Gallery, attended
by representatives of Armenia's civil society - political parties,
mass media, Public Council and non-governmental organizations.
The President of Armenia congratulated the attendees on the occasion
of the holiday and wished them all the best. In his congratulatory
remarks President Serzh Sargsyan stated, in part:
"Distinguished representatives of the Political Parties, Mass
Media, Public Council and Non-governmental Organizations, Ladies
and Gentlemen,
I salute you all and congratulate on the occasion of the 20th
anniversary of Armenia's independence.
A centuries-long dream of our nation to have an independent state
has become a reality, which is now twenty years old. On September 21,
1991 we, in fact, opened a new page in the Armenian history and today
we all together fill it with a content. We fill it through serving,
teaching, creating, making decisions, differing and pointing out
mistakes, elucidating, growing bounty, and curing.
Together, we have already written down glorious lines about Artsakh,
maturing social and political environment, irreversible processes of
building institutions which befit a modern state and have issued a
certificate of confidence for a young country to move forward.
However, very often these "inscriptions" are also about poverty,
violated rights and social hardships: these "inscriptions" are yet
incomplete - they are to be revised and amended. We will put a period
in these sentences together, and I have no doubt about that. Why?
Because I know that despite existing different and differing
approaches, one thing is absolutely undeniable: it is our unconditional
love for our country, and that's more than enough for having confidence
in Armenia's future. Everything can change, but nothing can change
this conviction of mine.
There is no doubt that twenty years is a solid and binding jubilee,
which our people have reached leaving behind a difficult and honorable
road. All these years we have been living the joy of achievements
together. We have also had bitter loses, however we never lost one
of the most important achievements of our independence - the right
to speak free and open about shortcomings present in our life.
Shortcomings and hardships can discourage every, even the most
established society if there is no confidence that there is a will
and ability to conquer and eradicate them. People will not overcome
hardships standing shoulder to shoulder if there is no mutual trust; on
the contrary, they will turn with suspicion even hatred, opening their
backs to that very hardships. It is obvious: no effort is enough to
strengthen mutual trust among all members of our society. It applies
to everyone.
For two decades we have been working toward the establishment in our
country of a political culture based on competition. A situation,
in which the aspiration to assume responsibility for the country's
development and state administration can be achieved only by proving
to the people the validity of the proposed course. A situation,
when there is more than one truth, when the good has to make way for
the best, and when the ambition to be the right and the best can be
established only through competition - publicly, in front of everyone,
by competing with ideas and vision, by being persuasive.
However, no competition, political competition cannot direct a country
toward the best course, if ends of those competing are subordinate
to the means, or when the ends justify the means, if they compete
for sake of competing, if they win for sake of winning.
Therefore, political competition ought to go hand in hand with
political cooperation. Joint path of the competition and cooperation
is narrow indeed; it is also unsteady, while the rims of the
nation-racking abyss are wide, numerous and slippery. They are
passable only for those who has acquired wisdom in that struggle,
who was able to stop in that relentless struggle and offer his hand
to the opponent, whose battle cry has not turned into a curse, who
comprehends the meaning of the words uttered by Prince Artavazd:
eternal disgrace of the one who's condemned to reign over ruins.
Today, we can take pride in the achievement which confirms the maturity
of our state. We have been able not only to lay the foundation of our
statehood but also to start the construction of a strong edifice. Our
political parties and society have been able to mature passing a
very difficult road, to find the path of political competition and
cooperation and move forward.
>>From now on, we may not deviate from that path. We will compete,
but hand in hand. We will struggle on the political arena but never
rolling down from that arena, never rolling that arena away, never
rolling away the people.
The Public Council, which is endowed with huge social capital, plays
an important and key role in the establishment of the atmosphere of
trust in our country. It has provided a new opportunity for open and
free discussions in our society. I am confident that the Council has
yet much work to do and that it will continue to contribute to the
growth of accord and solidarity in our society.
We all, including mass media and non-governmental organizations
must continue our work aimed at the consolidation of Armenia's civil
society. Nobody will do it for us.
Twenty-year old history also heralds the advent of a new generation.
Today, the generation, which was born in our independent Motherland
and matured together with our state, enters the social and political
realm of the country. These are people who've never been citizens of
another state.
We have always been keeping record of our achievements and failings;
however, we often forget the greatest achievement which has been
strengthening from year to year - the independence generation, which
must be and will be free of mental bonds, which will be more liberated
and progressive, which will be more able and aim-oriented. We,
their parents, the older generation, who carried on their shoulder
the burden of state- and armybuilding, who carried the burden of
transformation, are more than proud to see and welcome the dawn
of a new generation. Mass media and non-governmental institutions,
political unions - the most important institutions of Armenia's civil
society are among those attractive areas in which the new generation
makes its first steps.
I wish success to you all and once again with unconcealed pride
congratulate on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of our
Motherland's, the Republic of Armenia's independence."