President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian today had a meeting with Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan and human rights activists Zaruhi Hovhannisyan and Avetik Ishkhanyan, as reported the news service of the Staff of the President of Armenia.

Sarkissian offered the Ombudsman and human rights activists to express their views on human rights protection in Armenia and said it’s necessary to speak not only about the current problems and the solutions to them, but also fundamental issues that need to be solved fundamentally.

After listening to them, the President said Armenians need to accept as a basis the environment and reality in which they live and try to change and improve the situation to the best of the country’s ability.

The head of state also answered questions regarding the role of the President in a parliamentary country, and the human rights activists also talked about that. Sarkissian said a transition has been made to a new stage, yet most people still don’t understand that the powers of the President have changed.

The participants of the meeting shared the President’s view that there is a need to raise awareness, hold public discussions and educate people through the use of various mechanisms and that all citizens have their role to play.