YEREVAN (president.am) — President Armenia Sarkissian of Armenia announced his resignation on January 23 in a statement on the official presidential website, which is reproduced as follows.
In the early 1990s, due to major geopolitical changes, our people had the greatest opportunity to establish their own independent state. Our mission was not to replace one flag with another, but to build a country that would ensure the security, progress, and prosperity of Armenians once again, centuries later.
I emphasize that the main meaning of the existence of an independent state is the ability to assume and bear responsibility when we realize that only we, as a single body, are the builders of our victories and culprits of our defeats.
Enthused by such a historic opportunity, like many of my compatriots, I dedicated myself to that mission. For various reasons, the activity of my participation at various stages changed, but I did not stop believing in our ultimate national success. And that was my chief motivation to accept the proposal to become the President of Armenia.
Making this important decision, I proceeded from the proposal made to me, according to which the new presidential institution would have tools and opportunities to influence foreign political, economic, and investment policy, and relations with the Diaspora, as well as to promote national interests in the international arena, and shape a new scientific-educational and high-tech environment.