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On November 10 on the occasion of the Local Self-Government Day the solemn ceremony of awarding the representatives of the sphere took place in the NA Gilded Hall.

By the order of the RA National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan about 60 representatives of the system were awarded the Medal of Honor of the National Assembly and the NA Diploma, in particular, the RA Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Armen Gevorgyan, the First Deputy Minister of the Territorial Administration Vache Terteryan, the Acting Mayor of Yerevan, the First Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Taron Maragaryan, the Deputy Mayor of Yerevan Kamo Areyan, the Governor of Tavush Marz Armen Ghularyan, the Governor of Kotayk Marz Kovalenko Shahgaldyan, other officials, heads of the communities of Yerevan administrative regions and different marzes, employees of Local Self-Government, representatives of NGOs, as well as the General Director of VivaCell Ralf Yirikyan for promoting the activity of the Local Self-Government.

Handing over the awards, the Speaker of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan said: “15 years ago as a result of the first elections of the local self-government bodies, which were held on November 10, 1996 the system of the local self-government formed in the Republic of Armenia. That was one of the first fundamental steps taken in the establishment of the young statehood, and as the past years showed that experience was successfully overcome.

Today the local self-government bodies are not only the important part of the local self-government bodies, but they represent a democratic system both of the state and the legal institute. That is, the local self-government body means first of all, democracy and the society’s immediate participation in the life of the community.

In the years of its existence the local self-government system has proved its vitality and necessity. The local self-government bodies represent the power that is much closer to the population, directly familiar with their problems and thereby serve as the first aid of the solution of those problems. Though today the local authorities in some cases, perhaps, have the problem of lack of authorities, but on the other hand being closer to the population, enjoying its trust is the main capital of the local self-government. And we shall do our best to keep that capital for creating necessary conditions for its development and multiplication, because the communities are the guarantor and booster of the progress of the state, and having a developed community is the pledge of the powerful state. The country is powerful at the same time with the unity of its communities and their peculiarities.

As the President of the Republic Serzh Sargsyan has noted in one of his consultations the adequate development of Armenia’s territories is not a slogan, and the adequate development for the present and the future of the country is of strategic importance.

Dear colleagues,

Working in the local self-government bodies is, first of all, a big responsibility before the state and the people, who have the hope and expectation of improvement of life, which they also connect just with the head of the community. I have personally felt that responsibility and the people’s expectation. Being a deputy of the 1995-1999 NA first convocation, let me not sound showy, I have been the direct participant of the investment of the new system and creation of the necessary legislative field. Being elected Mayor of Artashat on November 10, 1996, I have called to life the new system as one of the first mayors of the country. But, of course, a whole possibility was created to study the new system more in detail at the level of all marzes and communities and work with them, when I was appointed Governor of Marz, Minister Coordinating the Activity of Territorial Administration and Urban Development, later Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Territorial Administration. Those and the following years have been the periods of investing my experience and at the same time obtaining new experience. 8 years I have participated in detail in the process of the establishment of the system, being well aware of its problems and capabilities, its development and improvement. The considerable part of my life and working experience have been connected with the local self-government bodies, and irrespective of the fact where and which posts I have had, I have never been cut from Marzes and communities, I have been well aware of the problems and have sought to their solution.”

Noting that this is the first time the Local Self-Government Day has been officially marked in our country on November 10, Hovik Abrahamyan congratulated those present and in the name of them all the employees of the system, wishing good health, welfare and success.

The NA Speaker documented once again that the powerful community is the biggest and most important resource of development of the country.