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On May 23 in the National Assembly the debate of the Government programme continued.

Before turning to the exchange of thoughts by the proposal of the NA President Hovik Abrahamyan the deputies welcomed the teachers and pupils from 10 senior schools of Yerevan within the programme “School Clubs of Legal Awareness” Youth Achievements NGO.

In the name of the Prosperous Armenia faction Stepan Margaryan announced that the PAP could not share the political responsibility of this programme and would vote against it.

The Head of the RPA faction Galust Sahakyan in his speech responded to the accusations sounded by the opposition during the debate.

The NA President Hovik ABrahamyan delivered an extraordinary speech.

“Dear Colleagues,

Dear members of the Government,

The programme of the government activity of any country is one of the main political documents, over which the debates being held in the parliament, show not only the global problems, existing in the given country, the main directions of the development and expecting results, but also the level of warm heartedness and concern of the political forces on the development of the country and future. With this respect, the first thing to record was the debates containing concerned, sometimes extreme assessments and sounded interpellations in this hall. This means that the political forces represented in the National Assembly and the individual deputies are genuinely concerned about making Armenia more developed, more stable and more secure country a day before. And I thank all the deputies for the active debates.

The activity of the Government, as it is noted at the very beginning of the programme, will be based not only on the RA National Security Strategy, the basic provisions of the pre-electoral programmes of the RA President, the Republic Party of Armenia and Rule of Law parties, but also the main programme ideas and approaches of all parliamentary parties, which are consonant with those documents, are realistic and can promote the harmonious development of our country. I very much highlight this approach, because as a result of it, a peculiar tribune of consolidation of all political forces represented in the National Assembly is established, despite the degree of representation of those political forces and political status in the independent parliament and despite certain issues or problems to be resolved.

This comes to witness the fact that the Armenian authorities are open for consolidation for jointly resolving the existing problems and the debate of all the constructive and substantiated recommendations.

On the one hand, this Government programme considerably differs from the previous programme, proposing new priorities and approaches, and on the other hand, it is the organic continuation of the previous programme, including in it all the reforms, begun formerly and had not reached to their logical end. And it is natural, because as a result of elections, receiving the vote of the majority of our citizens’ trust, the Republican Party together with its colleagues should continue to implement all the programmes, which were approved by our people and have not lost their topicality.

I deem very important the five priorities and the main directions of their implementation, which are laid down in the basis of the 2013-2017 Government programme. I consider the adoption of those prior directions chosen at precise time, as well as choice of expedient and right targets of the solutions of the existing problems in the spheres of the social-economic development of the republic and the deepening of democracy in the country. In case of effectively working in these directions, I am sure that we’ll achieve the indices and outcomes, which are planned for upcoming 4 years.

Dear colleagues,

I would like to speak about the challenges and risks, which can emerge in future connected with the post-crisis well-known processes going on in the commercial partner countries and regions of Armenia. On the one hand the model of open economy, which is also applied in our republic, having a number of advantages, with respect to rapid integration to the world markets, involvement of the investments, wide opportunities of the investment of new technologies and other aspects, on the other hand, it can genuinely very rapidly feel the consequences of different phenomena going on in the external world, with that endangering the process of reaching the pre-indicated outcomes by the Government programme. Thus, the Government activity shall have a necessary level of flexibility and in case of emerging of the mentioned risks, immediately shall provide adequate response for overcoming the new challenges. And we should be ready in quick and operative support to the RA Government in that aspect.

Regarding the sounded opinions and remarks on the debated programme, I think that we should stem from the reality that there is no such a political document on which, in case of desire, it is impossible to make numerous remarks and indicate shortcomings.

I agree that there are shortcomings, gaps. But I don’t agree with the opinions, evaluations that during these years nothing has been done.

The elections of the National Assembly, the presidential elections and the elections of Yerevan Counil of Elders are over. We criticized each other in some cases objectively, in other cases – subjectively. However, the Republican Party of Armenia never build s its campaign by criticizing other political forces or candidates, but introduces the implemented programmes and the works to be done.

Anyway, the elections are over, and I call on all political forces to reconciliation, solidarity and joint work. Moreover, I am sure that we share the same opinion over the certain most important issues: strengthening of the Republic of Armenia, development of Nagorno Kharabakh and reinforcement of independence.

I unequivocally agree with the view of the President of the Republic Serzh Sargsyan that since 2008, today is the most favourable time to implement necessary reforms and programmes providing continuous economic growth, which will result in the considerable reduction of poverty level. I am sure that due to the joint work of all of us we can record these successes.

Concluding the debates the Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan thanked the deputies for three-day concerned debates.

The parliament approved the Government programme with 76 for and 41 against votes correlation.

The Minister of Finance Davit Sargsyan submitted to the parliament for approval the initiatives of the government “On Amending the Law on Accumulated Pensions,” “On Amending the Law on Income Tax” in the procedure of second reading. The Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Social Affairs Hakob Hakobyan and the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Vardan Ayvazyan presented the endorsements on the second draft laws.

The RA Justice Minister Hrayr Tovmasyan presented the draft law “On Amending the Laws on the Structure of the Government of the Republic of Armenia” and “On Public Services.”

The Deputy Head of the State Revenue Committee Vakhtang Mirumyan introduced the proposal on amending the laws on “On Tax Service” and “On Customs Service.” The Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Mikayel Melkumyan presented the endorsement of the Head Committee.

The Chairman of the Central Bank Artur Javadyan submitted to the deputies’ assessment the monetary-credit policy programme for 2012 of the Bank and the report of the programme execution.

Touching upon the damage caused from hailing to the agriculture, the NA President Hovik Abrahamyan raised the problem accessibility of agricultural credits being provided by the banks and proposed to discuss this situation.

The Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs Gagik Minasyan also touched upon the macro-economic indices of the current year and the factors forming low inflation.

Artur Javadyan also presented monetary-credit policy programme for 2012 of the Central Bank.

The debate of the issue will continue during the last four-day sittings of the spring session.