Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with the President of the Republic Vahagn Khachaturyan.
Vahagn Khachaturyan noted in his speech. "First of all, thank you for your visit. I am touched. We often have the opportunity to communicate. It is rare that we have such an official contact, but I consider it important both for me personally and for the society, the people.
I paid attention to one circumstance: what should we discuss during the meeting, what can we talk about? I want to record an important fact that the economic achievements of the government are very outstanding. You and the government have a great contribution here.
I have been constantly following, I have not been a Cabinet member for some time now, but due to my professional interests, I must say that there are very few countries that have recorded such success, there are very few countries that have been able to use their opportunities to the maximum in difficult global economic conditions. I can tell you, give an assessment, that this is not due to one year's work, but due to the reforms made in the last four years. I want you to take this as a professional assessment, because it was interesting for me how we manage to record such success.
This is mainly due to the fact that our business is mostly freed from all shackles, it operates freely, where it wants, as it wants. The government is very successful in using its leverage, especially in terms of economic laws, including taxation, and why not, keeping administrative leverage as far as possible, loosening it.
And there is an important circumstance that I dreamed of, that one day we would have a country where a businessman should be interested in working with the state more honestly, more openly, and pays taxes. Now, when we switch to electronic tax reports next year, I think it is an opportunity and experience will probably show that there is no need to think from the beginning that the businessman and the taxpayer are working with a criminal mindset. It's always been that way, coming from the Soviet Union.
Now, I think you have managed to change that mindset and next year the business will give its answer in a good way and we can record success. In that regard, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your achievements. I understand that these are very difficult times for the government, particularly, considering the recent events, but I am sure that we should not be diverted by this, and mainly these artificial hardships are aimed at this, so that we can be diverted and do more important things, but I think that, you always mention it, that all works are important, and we must be able to successfully complete all those important endeavours."
In his turn, Prime Minister Pashinyan noted. "Thank you, honorable Mr. President. Thank you for your hospitality. Yes, you are right, we actually communicate very often, we talk very often, we have discussions both at Security Council meetings and at working consultations, but I think that working discussions in this format are also very important, so that from time to time we will also summarize the results and talk about the things to be done in the future.
I would like to thank you for the assessment of the economic indicators. Of course, it is important and I fully agree that the author of economic growth is not really the government, but the people who create that growth, and that the government should not create obstacles for them to develop the economy. The second thing is to help where it is possible and where it can help and with what it can help. We are also guided by that logic. Of course, in this regard, it is very important to ensure an equal competitive field and, of course, also regulation - reduction of bureaucratic hassles, improvement of the investment environment. There is a lot to be done here, we have talked about these issues many times. And we are definitely committed to the reform agenda.
Of course, issues related to the security environment understandably take much more time. The situation in Lachin Corridor is worrisome and condemnable that despite the trilateral declaration of November 9, we have what we have. And with the trilateral declaration of November 9, such a situation should not have happened at all, and I hope that as a result of the efforts and direct communications of our international partners, as well as certain discussions, we will manage to settle this situation, in general, to achieve long-term stability and peace in the region.
I am sure that today we will discuss all these agenda items in detail. Although, I say again, we meet regularly, and I am very happy and thankful for that, that there is full communication both between us personally, and between the President's staff and the Government's staff. It is very important to ensure a proper working environment."
