Serzh Sargsyan: changing all the old village headmen and appointing  people who may seem  more reliable and more effectively managed is  the worst approach

ArmInfo."It is necessary to make clear demands, criteria, and those who do not really meet these criteria, say that they were going, were engaged in another matter.But to say that I came to bring their people is a disastrous approach.

Then you will depend on those people , but not these people from you, "Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stated at the final session of the conference on local self-government and territorial administration, which is being held on December 8-9 in Dilijan by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development and public  organization "Union of Armenian communities."

 According to the press service of the head of state, in his speech  the president, in particular, expressed regret at the fact that local  government elections are not given the attention that they rightly  deserve.  "Maybe because the Armenian political forces are poorly  represented at the community level and believe that these elections  are secondary, but politics, first of all, at the local level," he  said. The President reminded that today instead of the previous 465  communities there are already 52 enlarged communities. In many  communities, as a result of the enlargement, a more competitive  council of elders formed, the meetings became more interested and  focused. 

At the same time, there is a redistribution of staff, as a result of  which repeated staff units are replaced by new service providers.  According to him, in some communities this process is not going on,  for unknown reasons. "Although there are one or two of them, it is  very necessary to complete this process very quickly, and it is  absolutely not necessary that the head of the elected enlarged  community decide that he changes all the old village elders and  appoints people who, it seems, are more reliable and more effectively  managed. I have changed several ministries, I was appointed to  different ministries, and when I came to the ministry, I never told  my deputies or the heads of departments that they should write  statements and leave because I'm not a ho I need to make clear  demands, criteria, and those who do not really meet these criteria,  say that they were going, were engaged in another business. But to  say that I came, I must bring my people-this approach is disastrous.  depend on those people, and not these people from you, "- said the  president. Serzh Sargsyan said that he is aware that not all the  shortcomings in this regard have been eliminated.  "Nevertheless, we  are on the right track," he said.

The head of the republic said that during this meeting he presented  his vision of local self-government and territorial management. "In  the strategic plan, our goals have not changed: a free and  independent Armenia must be a country of strong and organized  communities," he said, stressing that the program of integration of  communities will continue slowly. "Our goal is not to weaken strong  communities, but to strengthen them, creating parallel opportunities  for smaller and weaker communities," Sargsyan said. "I've heard a lot  from representatives of the financial sector, including international  financial institutions, that funding can always be found with  ambitious and realistic programs in our communities, institutional  opportunities for their transparent implementation." Many of the  community leaders believe that their communities have good ideas I  hope that as a result of today's discussions, the opportunities to  reduce these ideas to the brink are more understandable, "the  president emphasized. 

Adoption of new approaches to financing and development, according to  Serzh Sargsyan, will strengthen the independence of the communities.  In this respect, a good example is the high rating given by Fitch to  the community of Yerevan, the results of which we already see. The  city of Yerevan, as the president recalled, has already signed a  specific agreement on obtaining the first financial resource from  financial structures - without the mediation of the state budget and  state guarantees. "Of course, this does not mean that in such  circumstances, communities should take over the burden, which will  then sink them, but getting logically sound, with favorable terms  loans and their mastering - is very important for us. I am sure that  these approaches can also be implemented in many other communities,  thanks to the cooperation of small communities and the consolidation  of their efforts, as well as the introduction of clear criteria and  regulations, "said Serge Sa gsyan. 

As the head of state noted, in order to successfully continue and  implement the processes of providing additional powers to the  communities, decentralization, it is necessary to develop and  implement numerous retraining programs. "In the field, it is  necessary to create human resources and professional opportunities  that will properly implement the powers already given," he said,  adding that innovative approaches to the development of communities  and the attraction of private investments must be adopted.

Heads of regional administrations, prefects, representatives of the  Central Bank, the Territorial Development Fund of Armenia, as well as  the programs of the "Mayors' Agreement - East", "Mayors for Economic  Development" programs took part in the conference that took place on  December 8-9 in Dilijan. , energy efficiency in communities and other  programs. Within the framework of the agenda, issues of local  self-government and territorial administration of Armenia were  discussed, it was about the implementation of economic development  programs in marzes and communities, the course of administrative and  territorial reforms, and the process of consolidation of communities.  Representatives of the Central Bank in their speeches presented  opportunities for community development, financial participation, and  the attraction of alternative sources of financing. Minister of  Territorial Administration and Development David Lokyan summed up the  results of the community conference, spoke about the problems of the  sphere, after which the leaders of a number of enlarged communities  presented the achievements of one year of activity, recorded  successes, existing problems and proposed solutions.