Today’s forum very brilliantly shows that the Armenians and especially Armenian businessmen of Russia have stood and continue to stand strong with the Armenian State and the Republic of Armenia. This is what Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated in his speech at the Armenian Business Forum in Yerevan today.

“Today this message is extremely important at the major and historical milestone that we are at. After the 44-day war in 2020, it was very important to find the answers to several important questions, and the snap parliamentary elections were held in Armenia in order to find the answers. The elections had to show or become the cause-and-effect relationship of various events of the past 30 years of the Third Republic of Armenia and eventually answer another important question: How should life continue and in what direction?

I believe this is the most important question, and the results of the elections helped record, in essence, the decision of the citizens of Armenia to move towards the opening of an era of peaceful development for Armenia and the region, and the Government of Armenia particularly received this mandate from the citizens of Armenia,” Pashinyan emphasized.

Pashinyan noted that there are forces that want to show that an era of peaceful development is impossible in the region, but the government will be consistent and guide the country in this direction. He also presented the tools through which, according to him, the era of peaceful development will be established and opened.

“I consider the unblocking of regional communications extremely important, based on the trilateral statements of November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021. I believe the solution to this issue is also very important in the context of our discussion because the unblocking of regional communications will eventually allow Armenia to lift the blockade of the past 30 years,” he said.

Pashinyan presented the programs that the government is launching to build the future of Armenia, including educational reforms and the development of infrastructures. “Armenia will build or capitally renovate 300 schools and 500 kindergartens in the next five years. We will start or end construction of 15 reservoirs, as well as renovate or capitally renovate 500 km roads. We are planning to launch construction of the Sisian-Agarak section of the North-South highway. All this is part of a state investment program worth several billions of dollars, and here we need the support of our businessmen, including the Armenian Businessmen’s Association because our calculations show that Armenia doesn’t have capacities for construction. I hope the Armenian Businessmen’s Association will react to the launch of the state program,” Pashinyan said, adding that the share of capital expenditures in the 2022 State Budget will be unprecedented in the history of Armenia.