MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

New President of Armenia sworn in despite opposition

Khachaturyan was elected president at the parliament’s session on March 3

The fifth President of Armenia since its independence from the Soviet Union has been sworn in Sunday during a National Assembly ceremony held at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex in Yerevan. The currently war-torn Ukraine is also a former Soviet republic.

“Today I assume the office of the President of the Republic at a crucial moment for the future of Armenia, when we are in a difficult period of regional and international challenges. We are witnessing rapidly changing geopolitical developments, as a result of which the existing global security systems are changing. Today more than ever we need wisdom, confidence, stability, unity,” said the former Yerevan mayor Vahagn Khachaturyan.

The presidential inauguration was attended by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, among other national authorities. There were no representatives from opposition parties, who had boycotted Khachaturyan's appointment.

“After gaining independence, we chose our own path of development. The last thirty years have been a period of great trials for our people, our compatriots. Unfortunately, in that period of state formation, there were losses, irreversible losses. I am especially referring to the human losses, the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, who died defending our homeland. Eternal glory and honor to all. Of course, this is a great pain for all of us, but on the other hand, the compulsion, the compulsion to the government to change the situation, unite the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, all Armenians to restore the economic strength of the country, strengthen security, make the processes manageable, create, develop a new modern, future-oriented economic system, with its infrastructure, which will pave the way for a new quality economy with a leap in growth potential,” the new President went on.

Khachaturyan was elected president at the parliament’s session on March 3. In the runoff, he was supported by 71 legislators. The 2015 constitutional reform introduced parliamentary rule and the president began to be elected by the National Assembly.

Khachaturyan’s predecessor, Armen Sarkisyan, resigned on January 23, claiming he lacked the leverage to influence major domestic and foreign policy issues. After that, the faction of the ruling party Civil Contract nominated the former Industry Minister Khachaturyan. Between 1992 and 1996 he was mayor of Yerevan.