Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan today attended a Ministry of Foreign Affairs-hosted gala event on Diplomatic Service Day.

Congratulating all Armenian diplomats on their professional holiday, the Prime Minister noted that the Day was marked in celebration of the Armenian flag raising ceremony at the United Nations.

“During my journalistic and political career, I have heard many stories about how the Armenian diplomatic service was created from scratch, when making a U-turn in their professional career many people devoted themselves to the establishment of the Armenian diplomatic corps.

I wish to highlight the contribution made by our compatriots from the Diaspora who joined this process, and many citizens of Armenia, who, as I said, probably, when planning their lives, never thought that they would go to the diplomatic service of an independent state, their independent homeland. It should be noted that our diplomacy boasts some landmark achievements; it has faced challenges, failures, but we should go through this process,” Nikol Pashinyan said and added that this is characteristic to the diplomacy of any country. According to the Prime Minister, the time has come to formulate new tasks and outline further actions.

The Head of Government noted what agenda he had formulated for the system of state administration and diplomatic system after assuming the office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.

“I think our biggest challenge is to overcome the complex of a representative of a small country, because no matter how natural this complex is, it sometimes bothers us. On the other hand, the diplomatic system cannot overcome this complexity on its own, because this handicap must be addressed at the level of each citizen, each public entity, institution, because I think that diplomacy reflects the psychological background that is rooted within the country, perhaps sometimes it can be more noticeable at the diplomatic level,” the Premier said, stressing that this task needs special focus.

“The motto we adopted this year in the run-up to diplomats’ gathering was “Sovereignty, Panarmenism and Interaction,” which should be targeted at the genetic level. And we must work to materialize that psychology. However, I would reserve some leadership functions to diplomats, because, in my opinion, a diplomat is a person who believes that he can change the world, he can change the destiny of his own country, people; this mission should be the basis of our diplomatic service and, of course, of the whole system of public administration in Armenia,” Nikol Pashinyan said.

According to the Prime Minister, this should also become the psychology of every Armenian citizen, starting with a businessman and ending with a public servant. The Head of Government noted that diplomacy should introduce this psychology to the outer world and the result of this psychological change should be a change in the attitude of the world towards us.

“In general, we have set ourselves a very difficult but vital task, namely to change our self-esteem and the assessment of others in relation to our country. And this is a strategic task that we must tackle. We should enhance Armenia’s international standing so that our country holds its well-merited niche in the family of nations.

I want to once again congratulate all our diplomats and thank them for good service. I want to assure you that I fully and sincerely believe that our diplomatic service today has the potential to change the world and change the attitude of the world to our country. We are a sovereign nation, and the level of our sovereignty should grow day by day. The philosophy of our entire state policy should really be based on the logic of pan-Armenianism, and, as I have already said, the Republic of Armenia should act as a representative of all Armenians of the world on world platforms and in international relations,” the Prime Minister noted, adding that interaction is one of the most important principles of our diplomatic and state activities.

Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that the Republic of Armenia should be a reliable partner in international relations, and the desire for a reliable partnership with the Republic of Armenia should grow every year, every month.

“In general, the task is very simple: We should do our best - and this is primarily the task of our diplomatic service - to expand the scope of Armenia’s friends worldwide. I hope that we will be able to make the diplomatic service more attractive, although, in my opinion, today the diplomatic service is one of the most attractive services in Armenia, which, I think, is the most objective assessment of the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our diplomats, as a whole. Thank you once again for your valuable services provided to the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people,” Prime Minister Pashinyan said.

On the occasion of Diplomat’s Day, several Foreign Ministry officers were assigned diplomatic ranks. The diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary was assigned to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the Lebanese Republic Vahagn Atabekyan, the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary was assigned to Advisor at the Department of the Middle East and Africa Yuri Babakhanyan, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Vahe Gevorgyan and Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia Canada Anahit Harutyunyan. For many years of conscientious service, Head of the Finance and Budget Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Armenuhi Glastyan was awarded the Gratitude Medal.