Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended an official reception in St. Petersburg, hosted on behalf of the Armenian Embassy in the Russian Federation, which brought together numerous well-known representatives of the Armenian community - cultural and public figures, business people.

Greeting those present, the Prime Minister noted that has been a tradition for him to meet with our compatriots during his overseas visits.

“Meetings like this are important because we hope that the New Armenia can become a center of gravitation for the entire Armenian nation. The changes taking place in the Republic of Armenia should make every Armenian living in the world proud of Armenia, proud of its content, economic and political status. Naturally, that feeling of pride should encourage them to contribute to the country’s development. Investing is usually perceived as financial investment, but I do believe that moral support is as much important. I am pleased to note that this positive contribution has been formed among the Armenians,” Nikol Pashinyan said. The Prime Minister said Armenia witnessed a series of fundamental transformations last year.

“Our confidence has been growing ever since. We have finally reached the point where we can solve the problems we face, and most importantly, make Armenia a competitive state in economic, political and security terms. Our goal is to make Armenia an influential, authoritative country on both regional and international levels, and we will go the same way,” the Prime Minister said.

Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that tangible progress has been recorded in our country in the first quarter of this year. “The Republic of Armenia was the fastest growing economy in the EAEU according to last year’s data. We continued to maintain our leading positions as of the first quarter of this year. Armenia boasts the highest economic growth rate in the EAEU, which is 7.1%. In April, economic activity was 9.2%. This does not mean at all that everything is excellent, but it means that development groundwork has started working,” the Premier said, noting that a free economic field should be formed in Armenia.

“Any Armenian willing to invest in Homeland’s development should be given the opportunity to do so, and that opportunity is already available,” Nikol Pashinyan said, adding that the Armenian government is no longer interested in easy-to-solve problems, simple economic schemes. According to him, we have to set fat more serious problems, including the making of Armenia an innovative and technological country. The Prime Minister noted that in March last year 95 percent of the citizens considered that political changes were impossible in Armenia, but the change came as early as in April.

“It was not easy to solve political issues, the process lasted a long time. I hope and I am convinced that economic development will not take so long. Why am I confident: just because I believe in our people’s talent. Many keep asking how come Armenians go to Russia, to the United States and achieve great success, but in the meantime, they cannot succeed in their home country. The time has come for Armenians to achieve much greater success in the Republic of Armenia, because the skills they have acquired in different countries of the world should be invested in Armenia where they are offered unlimited opportunities. I am convinced that this will happen. I want to say that I love you all, I am proud of the success that you have in the Russian Federation.

I am convinced that your talent will contribute to the further strengthening of your homeland, you can do that, there will be no artificial barriers before you because Armenia is your homeland, the country where I hope you and your children will live. You are allowed to get richer and enrich the country,” the Head of Government said.

Taking the opportunity, Nikol Pashinyan talked to those Armenians in attendance of the reception. They showed great interest in the positive changes taking place in Armenia and shared with the Prime Minister their ideas and initiatives to implement different projects in the homeland.