– Mr. Sargsyan, before being appointed in the PM’s position, even on the previous day of that appointment, you were refuting the rumors that you might be appointed in the PM’s position. Howe can you explain this?
– I did not expect that either.
– Do you mean that you hadn’t received any suggestion before that?
– Yes.
– After the election it is spoken much that it depends on the recruitment policy of the government whether the crisis and the tension will be weakened or no, specifically people say it depends on the future members of the government, especially the PM. Can your appointment be viewed in that context?
– I believe in all the principles and ideas proposed by the president of the republic. This was one of the conceptions proposed by his government and it is important for the government how the new structure will be formed and how the environment will be reformed. I think this is how the new president will do and I believe he will build a new government within the framework of the coalition agreement. All the political parties, who know about the pre-election program of the president, should nominate such candidates for different positions who will be able to meet the criteria in that program.
– There have been publications in media writing that you have agreed to take that position only with the condition that you will be the one to decide with whom to work. Who are you going to work with?
– I did not have any preconditions. If there was a need for preconditions, I would not get this position. Serzh Sargsyan and me are thinking in the same direction, which means that there is no need for preconditions. I fully agree with the principles and ideas proposed by the president. I am here to manage the government basing on those principles. We are very open concerning this point, we are trusting each other and our work will be open and transparent as well. The society knows about the limitations and frames that we have concerning the government recruitment very well; it is the document published by the coalition, which defines the main principles of forming the government. It is clear that each of the four parties have their candidates, views, and the new government will be formed as a result of negotiations with them.
– The media has circulated several names of people, who may be appointed in certain positions. Are those rumors true?
– It is not correct to make statements or announcements when the negotiations are still in process. It may complicate the negotiation process on the part of the parties, will give disinformation to people resulting in wrong expectations. For this purpose they have to wait for several days until the negotiations are over. Later people will be informed about everything. Certainly each party has its principles and their priorities may be different. As a result of such negotiations we will have a government, which will be respected by everyone. Then the society may make its estimations basing on that government.
– What is the impact of the recent events on the economy and what impact may such economic developments have on the future political processes? If the economic processes stray from the planned path, what may the political changes be?
– The modern economy attaches importance to the environments in the society because the economic system, economic motivations and the economic system are formed by such environments in the society. The imagination of the society concerning the economic system depends on the economic situation they have now. Expectations are very important. Credibility is an economic category because if there is credibility in the society, many expenses of resources are cut down, including the time resources, which may increase the prices of goods and services and make them incompatible. This is the reason why the environment in the society may influence on economic processes. Our goal is creating positive environment and good expectations from the future, unite the people basing on the program and ideas, which have been suggested by the president and approved by people. We should agree with the fact that these programs are very good and may drastically change our life. If we work well, we will be successful. Also the role of the Mass Media is important because if the media shows to the society that we are a good team and are working with good faith, our work will be more effective. If we don’t do that, we will fail. However, I believe that we have that potential and the society is waiting for positive changes as well.
– You said that it is important to establish an environment of credibility. A big part of the society does not have such credibility. Being in the PM’s position what will you do to develop such environment in the society?
– The solution is very simple. If our words and work are in the same line, people will trust us, and if there is big difference between these two, we will lose that credibility.
– Do you mean that there is no need for drastic changes and what needs to be done is implementing the government’s program?
– Of course. If we are saying that the changes will start from ourselves, the society must see that. We are changing.
– In the past you have published an article, which was entitled as “how to make a revolution”. Does the revolution you meant there look like the changes you mentioned?
– Certainly. Such changes first of all should happen inside our structure, in our thinking. This is a very painful and hard process.
– There should be something to stimulate such change? What is the stimulation?
– Our inner belief. First of all the idea is presented, you are accepting that idea, and it is becoming your property. Later it is probated, and it is becoming your belief. After this process you have no other imagination about your life than making your belief come true. This is the way to revolution.
– Should the others be convinced as well?
– Yes. If you have not done that revolution in yourself, you cannot do that in others and in the society. This process is painful because people don’t tend to change their routine life. Everyone wants to have a better life, but they don’t think that in order to change their life they need to change something in themselves, but they think that the government should be changed so that they can live better without changing. It cannot happen, if we want to live in a good society, all we must change ourselves. Each person separately thinks that he/she is a normal person and does not want to change, but at the same time everyone wants to change the environment.
– Isn’t it normal if they think that first of all the government members should change so that they can see a good example of positive change in order to do the same?
– You are absolutely right. For this purpose Serzh Sargsyan said that we must start the changes from making changes in our team. The first step is fighting corruption in our team so that people can see that our team and the people with us are fighting corruption. If we do that, the society will trust us.
– If it happens how much time will it take for the society to feel the results?
– I wish it could happen today, I mean I wish you could trust us now. If you trust me, it will be the first step, and later you will say that to your friends and colleagues, who in their turn will say to the society that it is time for changes with the help of media or directly.
– Personally I believe that you want to improve the situation in the country. However, I am not sure whether the other people that will work for the government may want to change the environment or work in the same line and with the same belief as you.
– Recently a man told me an interesting thing. He said that the staff of the Central Bank (about 650 people) are almost the same and there are concerns that an artificial environment may be created. However, the CB team consists of people who think in the same direction and act as a team. If it is possible to make that change among 650 people in order to have the same imagination and look at things in the same why, why not to apply that model on a bigger target?
– If you have hired people in the Central Bank basing on their skills and knowledge criteria who are professional, in this case you have to give portfolios to the representatives of four different parties of the coalition.
– Of course it is important who the ministers are and what positions they have. However, the existence of such environment, unity, joint implementation of programs, team work can change people. I believe that the person I said later will say that all people involved in the government are alike.
– What was the reason why it was not done in the past years?
– I think you know the answer to that question.
– Obviously I do, but I think people would like to have your opinion as well.
– Different people have different opinions concerning the past. If we want to be untied, we should speak about the future but not the past.
– Once you said that the worse question you don’t like concerns your opinion about the forecast exchange rate. Now what is the worst question for you?
– There is a wrong opinion in the society that stabile exchange rate is good. The reason is that the society is not ready yet to live in the market economy and manage their risks. We just need to see what is happening in the world and developed democratic countries. The prices and rates are changing rapidly in the world and you can see that. By the way, such changes are faster and bigger in the world than in the financial market of Armenia. I understand that it is a painful process. Meanwhile, we should not criticize all what is characteristic to market economy. We should try to understand why it is happening. Poor and artificial interpretations are not helping us move forward to the future and are an obstacle. Such things should be interpreted by specialists professionally. Of course it is not excluded that different political powers may have their interests and interpret things differently. We should agree with the fact that that the situation is balanced and exchange rates are stipulated by the market. Also if there are variations and the situation is changing, it means that the problems existing in our economic system are being discovered. It is very dangerous to hide such problems because some time later there may be an explosion, which has happened in many countries as default. We should also make it clear to our society that we are building another society, where there will be changes, bankruptcy, some sectors will disappear and there will be new sectors. This is a development path characteristic to democratic societies. The better we understand that idea, understand the driving mechanisms, the easier it will be for people to plan their economic life better and such things will not be painful. In order people can manage their risks instead of asking the state to do that in their place they will need intellect and competency. Market economy means that companies must be responsible for their activities, predictions and management. As for the state, it should create an environment to handle those changes objectively. However, we can’t avoid such changes.
– Isn’t it strange that in our country fluctuation is happening in one direction and the price of the national currency is growing?
– If you take the past 18 years, you will see that it has been done differently. When we had a weak economy, degradation of the economy, the national currency was losing its price and the government was being criticized. When the economy started recovering and developing, those losses were turning to new achievements as fast as they had happened.
– It turns out that in case of fluctuation the reason is not problems, but a positive thing, which is the economic growth. Do you mean that we should be happy to see that the national currency is growing because the economy is growing as well?
– We should agree with the fact that economic development is a painful thing and can create serious problems. The faster the economic growth rate is, the more painful it is; and it will be painful to those companies which are losing their compatibility, the employees who are not professional and cannot find their place in the new economic system. We must give those people an opportunity to be trained and work on their skills in order to find their place in the new economic system. It is true for any society and it is a painful process. Generally there is a theory, according to which growth is happening through crisis. Because through crisis the system is losing the heavy load which is an obstacle for them to move forward, then it is taking a new load and it must be able to take that new load forward. Accordingly, there is no development without crisis.