leaders-of-armenia

"If you can find Newton in 1,000 and Einstein in 10,000, imagine how many talented people can you find in hundreds of millions? This new world is a world of innovation and start-ups."

"The independent statehood is the inviolability and unbargainability of our borders, our ability to make and implement decisions, our capability of ensuring security and dictating peace. We must not only be able to win but also understand in depth how to deal with that victory."

"Whatever political force you give preference to, and whatever your decision is, remember that it is a decision for the sake of the Homeland, for the sake of our state, for the sake of your future, and that of your family."

"Education opens the way to a new life and a new world. Be brave and confident. Open all doors through knowledge, open with your willpower and the impulse of your hearts, diligence, helping each other, trusting each other, learning from each other."

"Moreover, nobody gave us independence. We tried, we fought, and we achieved. We achieved it not only at the cost of our will and devotion but also at the expense of the lives of many of our compatriots."

"I insist that we live in Armenia mixing the imagination and the reality. And this is one of the main reasons. We say ‘we have a good army’, but we do not in reality. We say we have IT, but we do not have it. We have Information system, but I do not know whether we have it or not, which would correspond to the 21st century."

"The losers on the battlefield were not the soldier and his spirit, but the decision-making officials who were supposed to be ready for a possible war, properly organize and wage it."

"It does not matter to me that the behaviour of some political forces and parties has even been disrespectful because, as President, I leave their expressions aside and look at the situation that exists in our country today and those challenges and problems that we have today."

"Armenian-Russian strategic allied relations are quite rich and extensive. They rely upon the historical proximity of our friendly peoples. The nature of these relations does not depend on the outcome of the early elections."

"We are entering a new stage of the development of the statehood. The radical changes in the domains of public construction, judicial system, market economy, freedoms have become irreversible, and, with cooperation between the executive and legislative branches, we must bring all these to their natural development. The further promotion of democracy and continuation of the reforms have no alternatives. In this direction, the efficient work of the Parliament and its constructive attitude can greatly stimulate the positive processes. As a result, Armenia may come out in the world as a front runner in the region as far as permanent democratic values and stability are concerned. Everything depends on our level of responsibility and us. The accord in society, political dialogue and constructive cooperation are to become the credo of our people in the upcoming four years."

"Today we have not only a government seeking revenge in Azerbaijan, but also a similarly minded Azerbaijani people. And when these two circumstances combine, the danger of a renewed war increases."

"I am trying to understand how the formula “Artsakh is Armenia, full stop” can be combined with a solution that should satisfy all parties. The formula of these authorities implies that either Karabakh should abandon the idea of ​​independence, or Azerbaijan should agree with the independence of Karabakh."

"All my close friends ask me ‘Why are you doing this [running for office]?’. And I always tell myself: ‘If not me, then who?’ I asked this question to myself in 1992, 1997 and I'm asking myself the same question now, today. It feels like it's my destiny to fix what others broke."

"In reality, all experts were voicing that the policy led in Armenia made the war inevitable. Different expert circles insisted we were not ready and we night face a controversial and severe war."

"An unduly unfair peace cannot be lasting and sustainable. I want to end this conflict, and we must find a solution which which will be fair."

"I have extensive management experience in crisis situations, accumulated experience, and knowledge in the security and defense system. I have experience in overcoming the economic crisis. The current dangers and the accumulated experience and knowledge practically coincide"

"What are we going to do when we come to power? First of all, it is necessary to assess the scale of the damage done to the country in all spheres: economy, legal system, education, science, etc. This is necessary to plan the next steps. Anti-crisis steps must be taken to stem the further degradation of security and governance. We must stop the economic downturn, we must restore the country's creditworthiness and predictability. We have long lost our reputation as a reliable partner in the international arena."

"It is fundamentally important that people immediately feel the changes in the country, and people will feel it. We will not give empty promises, the key to our success is professionalism, experience, hard work, discipline and love for the country."

"We will propose the concept of a working country, we will turn the country into a construction site again. Creating tens of thousands of jobs every year is a priority. We did it once, we will do it again."

"The fight for the purity and efficiency of the state apparatus will be the best tool in the fight against corruption. This will be concrete work, not the slogans that the authorities are guided by today. Lying will be excluded in the state system. We have become a world of lies, we must start by eliminating those lies."

"We will build a country that every Armenian can be proud of. We understand that no one will ensure our security, the development of our country and economy for us. Yes, we have allies, friends, but no one will do for us what we ourselves must do. They will be with us, they will help us, but our fate must be in our hands. We will build everything that I said in my speech. We will bring dignified peace and prosperity. Rest assured everything will be fine. Thank you."

"Some forces are trying to engage us into political bargaining and propose me to become prime minister but ensure and guarantee the continuation of the existing system. And for me, my goal isn’t to become prime minister. My goal is bring real changes to Armenia."

"The most important thing that we changed was the people’s perception of their own role, because before the revolution the most part of Armenian citizens considered that they did not decide anything: nothing depended on their position, but we made our citizens believe that their position, their voice is the most important factor in our political and social life, and that is the most important change we have made."

"We are now in process of getting new people involved in the Armenian economy. We are going to guarantee the equality, and now we can say that all people, all citizens are equal before the law in Armenia. We are going to make economic reforms to liberalize our economy, to make it more attractive to foreign and domestic investors. How are we going to do that? We are going to guarantee the security of any investment. We are going to create high-quality infrastructure, and we are going to make people believe and engage in the economy, create their own businesses, and to have a real opportunity to become successful and make the country more prosperous."

"As any democracy, we are devoted to exclusively peaceful solution for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and it is very important because I am sure that democracy is the most important factor to create peace in our region. I am sure that there is no democracy willing to start a war or use force for solving problems."

"Artsakh is Armenia, full stop."

"This is a new Sardarapat, and we all should be prepared to devote ourselves to a single mission that we call final victory. Each of us must be ready to be on the forefront of that victory. We will win! We are sure to win! Rest assured that victory will be on our side!"

"I recently made a parallel between the Munich Agreement and our situation. Before the outbreak of World War II, the European powers thought that by ceding Czechoslovakia to Hitler they could satisfy his appetite and avoid war in Europe. And what happened as a result: Hitler swallowed Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic, and as the other saying goes, eating only arouses one’s appetite. If the European leaders had not surrendered the Czech Republic, and a war started, journalists like you would say, “Is there anything you could have done better? For instance, why did you not surrender the Czech Republic? While the questioned leaders would say, yes, we should have been a little more flexible in the case of the Czech Republic. They turned out to be more flexible, and what is the outcome?"

"Nothing has changed in my position. We have always said and keep saying the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh must be resolved only by peaceful means. I said something else, that Armenia has always been and is ready - and Karabakh, too, is ready - for a peaceful, diplomatic resolution of the issue, but we have one problem: the compromise to which Armenia agrees is no longer something to which Azerbaijan agrees."

"Humanitarian aid by a country that is selling weapons to mercenaries, which they are using to strike a civilian peaceful population? I propose that Israel send that aid to the mercenaries and to the terrorists as the logical continuation of its activities."

"I call on all citizens who understand what is happening to prepare for revenge, to prepare for revenge against these corrupt oligarch scoundrels․․․ Yes, we did not do the right thing. We have not dealt correctly with the people who robbed this country, with those who stole the soldiers' bread, those who stole the soldiers' weapons, those who stole the citizens' dignity, I apologize for that. I call on all citizens who understand what we are talking about, to prepare for revenge, because, yes, we will take revenge for our soldiers from them, we will take revenge for our lost homeland from them... the time has come for the citizen's revenge!"

"I call on all our compatriots not to give in to provocations and to unite around a government that is determined to live up to the task of getting the country out of this situation, while guaranteeing that no one can usurp the people’s legitimate power against plundering the country and returning it to a whirlpool of corruption... Our country does have a future, and we must do everything to make this difficult junction an important milestone on the way to that future. And we must learn lessons from our collective mistakes."

"You know, we have political tensions at home, but the truth is that the calls made by the opposition have not received wide publicity in society. And I think that the issue of power, which was formed by the people, can only be decided by the will of the people. The fact is that the calls made by the opposition do not receive support from the Armenian society. This needs to be stated."

"The election campaign and the elections themselves will give a comprehensive picture of which political force enjoys the trust of citizens. We are in close touch with the people and are fully cognizant of their concerns, their needs and aspirations. We will come up with programs aimed at strengthening Armenia’s security and developing the country in a way to ensure the population’s well-being. I am confident that our society will be able to form legitimate authorities, and we, in our contacts with the citizens, will present our programs and goals for coming years."

"Մենակ ենք և պետք է ապավինենք միայն մեր ուժերին՝ թե՜ ճակատը պաշտպանելու և թե՜ երկրի ներսում կարգ հաստատելու"

"In these conditions, our people can make miracles. I have often had the opportunity to realize that the sense of duty of our villagers is authentic. It is a sign of awareness. One call by the National Council is enough for him to leave his home and to rush to arms, when there is nothing that compels him to do so. At the time, the mobilization by the Russian government was always executed on the force of terror."

"The world saw and understood that, when it comes to the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations, they have to deal not just with Armenia with its three million population, but with the ten million Armenians. And let no one ignore the fact that, contrary to any slogans, the Armenian nation is united in its goals and is strong with its sons and daughters."

"I deem we have still much to do and will of course strive for stabilizing the situation in the country and continuing reforms. I am confident in success. All we need at this point is public order."

"This is not a promise, this is a duty which I have to carry out."

"Today, our country has ushered into an era of technological advancements, when current achievements oblige us to mobilize all our forces and work with a maximum effectiveness and goal-orientation. Therefore, our goal is a single one, namely: to rally around our values, to be proud of our achievements and to be confident with the future. This is the way in which Armenia can move ahead. Armenia should improve more than the previous day. All of us should constantly remember this. All of us should remember the logic of a better Armenia, a safer Armenia, a prosperous Armenia, and a powerful Armenia... Let there be an atmosphere of kindness and tolerance throughout all our undertakings. I am thankful...and onward to a new Armenia, onward to a prosperous Armenia."

"It was measured that the splinters of the Armenian nation that had managed to miraculously escape the Genocide would not be able to recover from the blow, would disappear in the whirlpools on five continents, lose their national identity, and aptitude to be a political factor. But we, as a nation and as a state, were able to reappear at the international arena to affirm that we continue our eternal journey and that we are determined not to allow for such a crime to ever happen again."

"Azerbaijan unleashed the war, and was defeated in that war; Azerbaijan asked for truce (including from the Commander of Karabakh’s forces) and later started to sob about the dire repercussions of that war. As if wars ever bring pleasant repercussions. And on top of that, Azerbaijan adopted conceited stance and started to make demands as if anywhere in the world defeated aggressors are ever allowed to make demands."

"We hear warmongering every day, every day we hear threats and attempts to scare us... We don’t want war and never wanted, but at that time [i.e. during Nagorno-Karabakh war] we had to defend our Motherland. If the time comes again, this time our blow will be final and deadly."

"Perfidy and brutal force thwarted opportunities for calling President Wilson’s Arbitral Award to life. Nevertheless, its significance is not to be underestimated: through that decision the aspiration of the Armenian people for the lost Motherland had obtained vital and legal force."

"Armenia categorically rejects the resumption of military hostilities in Nagorno Karabakh as an option. In case Azerbaijan resorts to military aggression, Armenia will have no other choice but to recognize the Nagorno Karabakh Republic de jure and to employ all its capabilities to ensure the security of the people of Artsakh."

"Our goal is not to win the war, we have already done it. Our goal is to find a just solution, and we are unanimous on the ways to find it."

"Hostile propaganda against Armenia and the Armenians and state-supported apparent falsifications of history, which have overwhelmed Azerbaijan, coupled with the arms race and military build-up, prove that Baku is not ready for peace... The Armenophobic and aggressive stance of Azerbaijan reinforces our conviction that Nagorno-Karabakh has no future within Azerbaijan. Moreover, Azerbaijan has no legal, political, or moral grounds for aspirations regarding Nagorno-Karabakh. While we are determined to resolve the issue in an exclusively peaceful and negotiated way, should Azerbaijan opt for a military adventure our response will be resolute."

"What did the Ottoman Empire bring to the peoples under its yoke other than massacres, oppression, and tyranny? Does anyone miss Ottomanism, providing a reason to deliver a “New Ottomanism”? And what does the “zero problems with the neighbors” policy mean? Does it mean that all neighbors should obediently do what Turkey wants them to do and satisfy Turkey’s preconditions? There are probably neighbors for whom it is quite beneficial, but we are certainly not among them."

"Lasting and strong relations cannot be built on short-lived interests. A credible partnership is inconceivable without shared values and commitment to the same ideas."

"In comparison with 2006, the death rate has decreased by two times, and it is the lowest since the formation of the army. But we can not say this is a good result, because even one death is a loss for us."