PRESIDNET SARGSYAN MEETS MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COUNCIL

armradio.am
10.07.2009 10:22

President Serzh Sargsyan met with the members of the Public Council,
President’s Press Office reported.

In his opening remarks the President of Armenia particularly said,
"This is our first meeting since after the Council has been fully
formed. I cordially congratulate all 36 members and wish you productive
work.

This is an exceptional institute, whose configuration and charter
have been designed and formed out of state structures. The election
of its members has also taken place in an unprecedented manner. And
the outcome of this enterprise depends primarily on all 36 members
of the Council. I have no intention of downgrading the role of the
Presidential Staff and our state structures: What I mean is that the
extent of our assistance will depend on your activities. We are ready
to discuss any initiative, to listen to your opinion, and it will be,
of course, a part of our work.

I am familiar with the Charter of the Public Council, I also know
that your decisions are not mandatory for the state governing bodies,
and will bear no direct influence on the policies. But we all also
understand that this structure has been created to influence the
policies. At first, it may sound as a contradiction, but it is clear
for me that there is no contradiction at all. If the state governing
bodies act based firs t of all on the power of law, your activities
will be based on respect, authority and public trust. I am happy
that the Public Council comprises individuals who posses all of
these qualities. And I hope that this structure will acquire your
personal qualities.

I would not wish for the Council to become a closed club, but rather
a great venue for exchanging opinions, listening to new ideas,
and adopting decisions. This is my vision of the Council’s work,
and I would like to repeat that this is an important structure,
and I didn’t pursue any other option.

I want your participation in the decision making to be significant. The
President and the state are interested in your participation in
important decision-making; by participating in decision-making
you also participate in the implementation of those decisions and
advocate them. In state structures we can obligate the state employees
to comply through orders, laws, government decisions, but in this
structure the role of the people who entered it and make decisions
on voluntary basis is, certainly, different. I sincerely believe that
this structure will deliver.

You see, from the moment the idea emerged, there were people
who labeled the structure without even knowing what its charter
would be like. I am confident that you and the mature part of our
society realize very well why this whole process of discrediting
was started. If we understand that s imple thing, it means that we
should be mindful of it in our work and implement ideas not to convince
someone that their approaches were wrong, but to build a better state,
to make our society a better one."

The Chairman of the Public Council Vazgen Manoukian informed the
President of Armenia on the formation of the Council’s commissions
and other administrative issues. He said that through the commission
formation process, a great number of people volunteered for help and
as a result the commissions have engaged high-class professionals
from different areas.

The Chairman of the Council expressed confidence that the structure
would be able to discuss many issues of public concern and find
avenues for their solution. He also informed that the Council has
been already receiving many letters which are being sorted by the
topics and analyzed to identify issues of common concern.

Vazgen Manoukian noted that all democratic states have similar public
structures which bring significant participation to the resolution of
social issues and play a reconciling role when interests of different
social groups collide.

During the working discussion, the members of the Council raised
a dozen questions pertaining to science and education, culture,
environment protection, economy, Armenia’s presence in international
information flows, and creation of the system of values for the younger
generation. President Serzh Sargsyan sugge sted that in its future
works the Council undertakes the development of concrete proposals
for the resolution of these issues.