Donates his state salary to the organization.
YEREVAN—While visiting the headquarters of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund on Thursday, President Armen Sarkissian, who is also the chairman of the Board of the Trustees of the organization, said the time has come for the Hayastan Fund to become a 21st century structure.
“The Fund was created in the 20th century and has had many achievements. It is time for the Fund to become a 21st century institution,” said Sarkissian while meeting with the organization’s staff.
The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has weathered some difficulties of late, specifically with the revelation that it former executive director, Ara Vardanyan, had used the organization’s funds for online gambling. He was fired from his post and replaced earlier this month by Haykak Arshamyan who accompanied the president on the tour.
Sarkissian said the fund is of great importance to Armenia and the Armenian people, and since its formation, at a time of great economic hardship in Armenia, it has carried out its mission with great success.
However, the president pointed out the imperative to reevaluate the fund’s activities and modernize its approaches to fundraising and advancement of its mission.
“Time advances faster than we can think. Therefore, the Fund needs to adopt new approaches, introduce new programs and work in a new way,” said Sarkssian who added that with the accelerated pace at which change is moving in Armenia, the fund must also adapt to the 21st century world. He urged the staff to take lessons from past achievements, as well as difficulties to carve out a more contemporary approach to the fund’s activities.
“I shouldn’t be the one to tell you about [the fund’s] achievements, programs and respect among Armenians all over the world. It’s just enough to visit different places in Armenia, depart from Yerevan to Stepanakert and see the roads, which have been meticulously constructed,” the president said and emphasized the national significance of the fund’s mission.
Sarkissian also reiterated his earlier announcement that he would donate his state salary to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.
“During our meeting in May of 2018 I expressed my confidence in the fund and its projects in a very simple way – I said that I am ready to donate my salary to the fund,” Sarkissian said, explaining that his entire salary, which has been accumulating since taking office, will be donated to the fund in the coming days “in order to have my small contribution in the solution of big and important issues.”
As long as online gambling sites are disabled, the Fund will do just fine.
AS LONG AS NOBODY THAT’S ARMENAN TOUCHES THAT MONEY, THE FUND WILL DO GREAT!
HISTORY HAS SHOWN THAT ARMENIANS CAN’T GOVERN THEMSELVES!!!!!!
ARMENIANS ARE BETTER GOVERNED!!!!!!!!!!