Armenia celebrates 29th anniversary of independence, PM announces 2050 development strategy

Armenia marks the 29th anniversary of its independence today.

This year, due to the situation with the coronavirus pandemic, all celebrations are taking place online.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced a development strategy for Armenia until 2050. The plan includes goals related not only to economic growth, but also to desirable sports achievements and human life expectancy.

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PM Pashinyan noted in his address: 

“The referendum of September 21, 1991 is one of the most important events in the history of the Armenian people … The results of the referendum demonstrated to the whole world the will of the freedom-loving Armenian people to have an independent and democratic state. Over the past 29 years, we have faced many trials…but these difficulties could not break the Armenian people.”

Pashinyan said now, the country faces the task of development, and for this a strategy has been developed, “which is not a stencil document, but a mechanism for discussing, clarifying our views, the goals of the Republic of Armenia until 2050, achieving these goals, making decisions and control over the course of their implementation ”.

Here are some of the strategegic points:

• increase the population of Armenia to 5 million people

• creating 1.5 million new jobs and eliminating poverty

• increasing GDP by 20 times, to increase the average salary by 7 times

• make a healthy lifestyle a national characteristic

• to bring life expectancy to 90 years

• have the most efficient army in the world in terms of the potential of one soldier

• to form an intelligence service, one of the ten most effective intelligence services in the world

• turn education into a national way of life

• make Armenia a high-tech industrial country

• at the same time, a climate resilient and energy efficient country with a healthy environment

• double the area covered by forests

• win 25 Olympic gold medals

• make the Armenian national football team a prize-winner of the European and / or World Championship

• to win the title of world chess champion

• increase the annual number of tourists visiting Armenia to 15 million.

President: “You need to believe in yourself”

Against the background of the ambitious and elusive goals voiced by the Prime Minister of Armenia, the statement of President Armen Sargsyan that the Armenians should use the next thirty years to build a strong homeland becomes relevant.

When asked by journalists whether Armenia is truly independent, or whether it has to adapt to the policies and attitudes of stronger states, Sargsyan replied that “you need to believe in yourself”:

“If you think that 29 years ago everyone was expecting the independence of Armenia, then you are mistaken. All Armenians believed and got what they wanted. If today we believe, we will be disciplined and organized, we will have a clear program and goal, then we will achieve everything”.