ArmInfo. The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) has presented its 15-page electoral program "Security and Progress" for 2017-2022, which covers all areas of public, political and socio-economic life of the country.
The authors of the program promise to build free, independent, fair and intellectual Armenia. Concerning the security component of its program, the RPA says, "Armenian villages, towns and state border should be secure and the citizen of the Republic of Armenia should always be in the center of that security". "As regards progress, which is the second component, the ruling party promises to create necessary conditions for creativity of all the citizens".
"We live in the region, which faces numerous threats and dangers and the probability of armed clashes is high. Azerbaijan's shady undertaking in April and Turkey's stand have proved once again that there is no alternative to the constant and consistent enhancement of security of our country. We do not consider a single nation as an enemy. The Armenian people demanded and keep demanding that the authorities of the two neighboring countries should stop denying the Armenian people's right to existence, self-governance and safe life, because that policy instigates their societies to use violence and to demonstrate xenophobia. We will keep exerting efforts towards neutralization of the current and possible military-political risks and threats to the national security, as well as towards enhancement of the national army's combativity and infrastructure.
The RPA program says that the reforms aimed at bringing the security system in compliance with the contemporary requirements, the measures aimed at suppressing the external challenges and ensuring adequate actions included and will include political, diplomatic, legal, economic, information, military and other integrated measures. The achievement of goals and implementation of commitments assumed by the Republic of Armenia under the Charter of the CSTO will remain a priority. "Armenia will consistently contribute to further strengthening of the CSTO. At the same time, the country will keep promoting its partner relations with the North Atlantic Alliance to raise the combativity of the Armenian Armed Forces, expand the cooperation of the Armed Forces with the public, and to reform the defensive system on a regular basis," the program says.
The document notes that security also includes social security, human rights protection, including guarantees of the right to life, property, and food safety. "When our citizens find themselves in a hard situation, they should feel the support of the state. For that purpose, we will keep introducing stable mechanisms to reduce poverty, increase the minimum salary and reform the state employment policy," says the document.