Armen Sarkissian, who has been elected 4th President of Armenia by the Parliament on March 2, visited AGBU’s Central Office in New York on March 12 where he had a meeting with young professionals of the Armenian community, reports the AGBU website.
Armen Sarkissian said after 26 years of war, financial setbacks and social hardships Armenia is ready to achieve the dream of having “a small republic but a global nation”.
Talking about the Diaspora’s engagement in the ongoing processes in Armenia, Sarkissian stated: “You have to keep a passport in your soul and believe you are a citizen of the country. You have to believe that you are Armenian and Armenia has to believe that you are Armenian. Armenia has to be your homeland and it has to take care of you”.
He attached importance to the victory achieved in the Artsakh war, stating that hundreds of years later Armenians showed that they can be victorious.
The President-elect said Armenia is a unique country as it cooperates both with the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union. “We are the only country that has good relations with both the European Union and Eurasia. It’s a fantastic opportunity…if we are smart we will use it…”, he said, noting that “Armenia has to have friends everywhere”.
He highlighted the need to fight against corruption in different sectors of Armenia, stating that it is not only a matter of governance and passing laws but also developing responsible citizens. “That is the way forward and the president is the one to use his office to lead the way. A president must lead by example as a good citizen”, he stated.
