At a government meeting attended by members of the Public Council on the Protection of Children’s Rights under the Human Rights Defender, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the state must empower the individual, and the individual must, in turn, strengthen the state.
“There’s only one way to empower people. It’s education,” the Prime Minister said, explaining his vision of the state-citizen relationship. “In my view, the relationship between the state and the citizen is this: the state must empower the person, and the person must empower the state. How does the state empower the person? Through three tools: education, education, and education.”
Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan presented the Council’s activities aimed at identifying and addressing issues in the protection of children’s rights. She thanked the Prime Minister for the meeting, expressing hope that the issues raised would be considered and addressed effectively.
Pashinyan responded to various questions from participants, including topics on protecting children’s rights and accessibility for people with disabilities.
He reiterated that many of the challenges raised in the meeting could also be addressed through education. Citing this philosophy, he referenced two major government initiatives: the “300 Schools, 500 Kindergartens” and “Academic City” projects.
“We need to solve many of today’s problems by building kindergartens and schools. The solution to most of our issues lies in investing in education,” the Prime Minister concluded.
