ArmInfo. Since 2018, 288,000 jobs have been created in Armenia, as announced by RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a working breakfast with representatives of Armenia's largest employers on April 13.
According to his statement, as quoted by the PM's office, these jobs were created thanks to the efforts of businesses and government policy. "Obviously, we didn't create these jobs; you did. Of course, government policy has played a role in creating a certain environment. In our election program, we have included the goal of creating at least 25,000 jobs annually, which is very important," the head of state said, emphasizing the continuity of this dynamic.
The Prime Minister then touched on the introduction of artificial intelligence into the economy, which also carries risks, including those related to employment. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the importance of conducting analytical and practical work in this area to avoid potential problems. "We need to understand what we need to do, where we need to cooperate, to ensure the proper transformation of the labor market," the head of state said.
Nikol Pashinyan added that in recent years, the government has spent billions of drams to ensure the modernization and efficiency of the economy. In particular, the Prime Minister mentioned the Economic Modernization Program, which has played a significant role in ensuring economic dynamism. The President recalled that from 2018 to the present, despite the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and the war, Armenia has achieved an average annual economic growth of 7%. In this context, the Prime Minister thanked businesspeople for their contribution to economic growth.
The Prime Minister then discussed universal health insurance, wage rates for employed individuals, and the potential for increasing the number of system users through these measures. According to Nikol Pashinyan, the system has been successfully implemented, and employers play a key role in it.
Speaking about promoting job creation, the Prime Minister also highlighted the government's social policy, according to which able-bodied people should ensure their livelihood and well-being through work. "The processes will follow the following logic: we will accompany people on their path to employment. In other words, the vulnerability assessment system includes a mandatory condition: in point X, we must offer the person a job with a specific address and salary. If this job offer is rejected three times, we will assume they have an income, because if a person doesn't have an income, why would they refuse to work? But, of course, in the context of all this, the most important thing is education and educational transformation, so that we can support people in this matter," the Prime Minister said.
Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the country is now entering a completely new stage of economic development, which, of course, is connected to the peace process established between Armenia and Azerbaijan. "We expect major events in the near future, primarily related to the launch of the TRIP project, which is crucial, as it will ultimately completely bring the Republic of Armenia out of the blockade. But, in essence, Armenia has overcome the blockade today, because, as you know, it is possible to carry our rail cargo transportation to Armenia through Azerbaijan, and it is being implemented. But I also want to say that exports can also be carried out by rail, of course, through Georgia, and we will first open the railway with Azerbaijan as part of the TRIP project. This is very important, and the political agreement is that this railway will never be closed. In other words, it is a reliable route for both imports and exports," the Prime Minister emphasized. Summing up, the head of state noted that since 2018, according to real estimates, Armenia's gross domestic product has grown by 53%, and the country's economy has reached a point where the relationship between businesses, the state, and workers must develop in a new way. In this regard, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of today's meeting for discussing these issues and listening to the opinions of entrepreneurs.
"I would like to once again thank you all for these changes that have taken place in our country, because there are industries and companies whose role in the Republic of Armenia is difficult to overestimate. It is crucial that these companies also bring a new mentality, a new way of thinking, a new culture to the Republic of Armenia, opening up new territories for entering new markets and new spheres of activity. I believe that today the country faces horizons it has never seen before. Armenia has never experienced such an unprecedented period of opportunity in its history. We must be able to constantly and continuously take advantage of this situation. Clearly, the government cannot do this without those who play a key role in the economy and the real production sector." In addition to expressing gratitude today, I want to draw everyone's attention to this situation; this, in fact, is my main message," Nikol Pashinyan said.
