Dear President!

Honorable delegates and guests of the congress!

Today we must analyze what happened in the country and in the party after the previous congress and we’ll propose new problems.

Voting in favor of the Republican Party of Armenia and its candidate in 2007 parliamentary elections and in 2008 presidential elections the citizens of our country expressed their support to the programmes, which had been presented by our party and President Sargsyan. The successes registered during the last two national elections testify to the fact during the previous period the peoples highly assessed the work done by the Republican Party, and the programmes of the party and the President aimed at the further development of the country considered viable. This trust is the biggest capital, which is possible to earn only by daily work.

Touching upon the inner political and foreign political challenges, which occurred after the last national elections I would like to note the following: as Speaker of the National Assembly and citizen of the Republic of Armenia, I confidently say that our country managed to come out of the inner political crisis created after the last presidential elections. This was a crisis, which was provoked by the forces, which were seeking power shift at any price and were not standing before anything on their way. But the political power of the country could turn the tragic page of March 1-2 in dignified way, making the most serious conclusions and never avoiding its own share of responsibility. We managed to make serious reforms, which also enjoyed the approval of the international structures, in particular, the Council of Europe. It became obvious for everybody that the political power of Armenia has necessary will to solve all existing, I am repeating, all problems on its political agenda.

The appeal of tolerance and cooperation of the President of the Republic directed to the whole political field was clear testimony of a thing that Motherland cannot and must not be divided into the Motherland of power and opposition, and all of us united, everybody within our authorities, must make efforts to have more powerful and comfortable country. President Serzh Sargsyan’s appeal also was the testimony that the power was ready to hear the reasonable and constructive assessments of its political opposition: assessments, which however, must not be darkened by evil, animosity and mania of destroying anything.

I consider the most important step in overcoming the March crisis the amnesty proposed by the President of the Republic of Armenia and declared by the National Assembly in June 2009. It was a substantial initiative realized in right time. I would like also to note the review of some disputable provisions of the Criminal Code by the parliament, which was an important step in the chain of the reforms, which was on the political power agenda of the country.

Dear Republicans!

It’s not a secret for anybody that as a result of 2007 parliamentary elections, the RPA received the majority of votes. The number of the deputies of our faction in the National Assembly allowed independently forming government. But President Serzh Sargsyan showed his willingness of cooperating with all concerned political forces, initiating formation of political coalition.

The position, which showed RPA in forming political coalition, was not restricted by narrow party approaches, accounts of interests and deals. The wise policy being pursued by the leadership of the President of the Republic also allowed it involve professional, but non-partisan resources in the responsible positions of the government. During these days most of them added our rows, making their choice in the existing political situation. I am sure that it was the result of their sober and long-term thoughts.

The encouraging of plurality, respecting the opposition and beginning the dialogue only prove the confidence of the political majority to its own forces in the National Assembly. Yes, the parliament must be a landing of plurality and from December of the last year from the first moment of being elected Speaker of Parliament, I repeatedly have called on all political forces, including also the radical opposition to use every opportunity for realizing civilized political dialogue. We must be able to form a culture of civilized dispute, and the parliament has to do a lot.

The Republican Party of Armenia, together with our colleagues, has assumed the most serious responsibility before our society. We have never avoided the responsibility. We haven’t slurred over the shortcomings, we have spoken sincere and open.

Dear colleagues!

The general values and ideas unite thousands of members of our party. RPA is a party of co-thinkers. We are bearers of national conservative ideology. The member of the Republican Party is proud of his/her country, relies on thought and Armenian strength, values the family, acts for his/her people and state.

National conservative ideology does not mean at all opposition to the reforms. It is the ideology of stability and social continuous development, for which the stagnation and revolution are equally acceptable. The main aim of the party is to maintain the good and relying on the rich heritage create the new one.

The Republican Party must ensure effective combination of young and old generations, experience and fervour, uniting everybody around the national values.

The main goal of the co-thinkers, who are united in the Republican Party, is to create favourable conditions for raising the citizen’s welfare in Armenia. Any step, any initiative will be senseless, if it does not serve for that goal.

Here I must also touch upon the problems of the foreign policy. From the first day of his tenure President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan adopted brave and initiative foreign policy. From this high tribune of RPA Congress I would like to announce out united support to the President of the Republic of Armenia. We wish peace to our Motherland and neighbour of Armenia. We don’t want war, but we confidently say that they cannot frighten us with war.

One thing is clear: there is no legal argument by which Azerbaijan can substantiate its intentions towards Nagorno Karabakh. Any norm towards international law, an international document on Nagorno Karabakh, which the legitimacy of statehood of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. And in this respect our positions is one: we must reach the international recognition of the right of self-determination of the Nagorno Karabakh people.

And that recognition has no alternative.

I consider necessary also to touch upon the issue of normalizing relations with Turkey without preconditions. I had numerous occasions to greet that brave initiative of the President of the Republic. Receiving the foreign guests I have always underlined that in the modern world there are no eternal enemies and eternal friends. As a bearer of national conservative ideology, the Republican Party always considered that only the national interest is permanent for us. From the national interest emanates the establishment of normal relations with Turkey. I am sure that with such conviction was stimulated the President Sargsyan’s brave step.

Within the framework of regular international meeting, which took place in Moscow, I had opportunity to meet the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Mr. Mehmet Ali Şahin. During our talk I reconfirmed the position expressed by the President of the Republic of Armenia Mr. Serzh Sargsyan, emphasizing that the signed protocols must be ratified and implemented within reasonable terms.

As Speaker of the National Assembly, as an Armenian, which has had experienced the same emotional feelings during this whole period because the wound of the Genocide can never and never be recovered in the soul of any of us, I understand the feelings of some of our compatriots, who live both in Armenia and outside Armenia. The President of the Republic of Armenia must be guided not by feelings, but by the interests of the state and people.

Dear party members!

During these days the budget of 2010 is under discussion in the National Assembly. The legislative and executive bodies jointly observe the proposed draft law for finding best solutions for the country with the existing means. I am sure that working coordinated with the executive body we’ll find fair and just solutions of many issues. And, of course, the National Assembly will also continue with the same consistency to exercise the control authority of implementing the programmes, envisaged by the budget, given to it by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. The goal of all of us is one: to see our country more powerful and welfare and the activities of all wings of the power are inclined to that supreme goal.

Dear party members!

We shall not forget that the upcoming elections are not behind the mountains. During those elections we must again stand before the voters’ judgments, showing the work done by us, also presenting our future programmes. Our voter will vote for us, if he/she gets convinced that we are a powerful party, which unreservedly makes reality any given promise.

Of course, from the previous congress our party has been strengthened and grown. Today, we have 130.000 members in our party, which represent all the layers of the Armenian society.

As a result of local self-government elections, head of communities were elected 553 republicans. This gives big opportunities for most serious work in the communities.

We have 1600 primary organizations. Among them about 100 have been created after the previous congress. I consider worth mentioning that the primary organization is the main linking ring between the party and the society.

Certainly, those figures are impressive. However, today’s challenges demand bigger tension of forces. The problem is not to be presented with big number and on the whole territory.

The strengthening of the party positions at the local self-government level must become a prior problem. The work of the party at that level is not an aim in itself, but a means to solve the problems facing our country.

Presenting the prior problems of the party in his speech President Serzh Sargsyan also especially stressed the issue of the development of the inner-party democratic institutes. In the party the discussion of the most important political issues, the active relation with the primary, regional and provincial organizations will give opportunity to define more distinctly and practically the problems facing us and the ways of their solution. During the last months the leading bodies of the party began to carry out targeted work, I am sure that very soon the results will be seen.

Dear colleagues!

The RPA is the leading political force of the country, which leaves its stamp on the formation of the power at any level. Nevertheless, the problems of the party structures and power bodies are not similar.

The structures of the party, which responded the wishes and moods of the community, work out strategic problems, new programmes, and implement control towards the fulfillment of the adopted decisions.

And the bodies of the authorities are obliged to work out and adopt sytemized solutions for the fulfillment of those programmes, ensuring the natural and effective work of the state institutes.

For solving the mentioned problem of the party structures, certainly, we should also pay great attention the source potential of our party. We need, first of all, persons, whom we believe, who are clever and kind, and who can contribute to serving the Motherland in general. At the same time, we should protect ourselves from those, who look for personal benefits in the party or merely an opportunity of political advance. We shall also initiate works of seeking source reserve capable for different spheres of the activity. The RPA as leading political force shall perform its role for revealing those persons and providing with work corresponding to their capabilities.

Dear colleagues!

We pursue pretentious goals. And that’s the reason that they’ll try to disturb us. Those, who benefit from the weak Armenia, who prefer their interest over the national interest, who are for the stagnation, who are not able to create a new one, will try to disturb us. But we are also ready to confront all the challenges. We’ll act with our brain, be patient and consistent. We don’t have the right to be slow. And that is why I urge you to go out of this hall after the congress clearly realizing the seriousness of the problems, but also with full conviction that we’ll solve them together.

Thanks for your attention.

.