ArmInfo. In New York, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took part in an open discussion on "The Results of Democracy" organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). As reported by the press service of the RA government, the event was attended by leaders of various countries, government representatives and international organizations.
In her speech, USAID Administrator Samantha Power noted that she had the opportunity to visit Brussels this spring to discuss steps that can be taken to support Armenia's democratic and peaceful future. According to Power, she visited Yerevan in July of this year to give new impetus to this progress and to see first-hand the efforts of the Armenian people on the path to democracy. She said that the USAID is working with Congress and the U.S. State Department to provide $20 million to Armenia to support cybersecurity, border and energy security, and to increase the country's resilience.
In turn, Nikol Pashinyan noted in his speech that after the Velvet Revolution of 2018, there is no longer any doubt in the Armenian society that the official elections reflect the real will of the Armenian people. "This is a problem that has already been resolved, and I am sure that there will be no return to dubious elections. The next thing, which is also very important, is that democracy gives all people freedom of economic activity. Before the revolution, there were monopolies and restrictions on some types of economic activity in Armenia. Now this issue has been resolved. One of the most important results of democracy is that society now has the opportunity to raise issues, reconsider stereotypes and discuss the past, present and future. I think this is a very important circumstance, because the fact that the government has adopted a peaceful agenda is also a result of democracy, and it is very important for this agenda to be successful," the head of the Armenian Cabinet said.
He also pointed out the importance of reconsidering traditional views. This concerns the role of women in society. "Undoubtedly, women are now more active and involved in the life of our country, and our people and society realize that this is an important component of the social, economic and political development of our country. And I am very glad that we call on women to be more active. Their reaction is not as active as we would like, but the process has begun, and there is no doubt that real changes await us. This will be a real result of democracy for our women, for our society as a whole," Nikol Pashinyan emphasized.