Foreword

The activities of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Armenia are greatly appreciated both by the people and the government of Armenia. The UNDP has made a substantial contribution to the development of Armenia. In this report, "Five Year's of Human Development in Armenia", the UNDP helps us review the events of the recent years and how they have lead to the current situation in Armenia. While this report does not necessarily reflect the views of the government, I would like to thank the UNDP for the hard work and effort in analyzing our most recent historical turning points.

During the early years of Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union, Armenia had serious battles to win to establish a democratic and civic society, a stable and secure sovereignty and true independence. Many believe that the social cost of breaking away from the USSR and establishing a democratic government has had too high a cost on the people of the country. It is true that the adverse conditions on society have been extreme, however, the choice was made not by the authorities of this nation, but by the people. The people of Armenia believed that making the dream of a free and independent Armenia had to become a reality, despite the social hardships they faced.

With the strong commitment of the Armenian people, supported by the contributions of the Diaspora, Armenia has been able to win many of the early battles. However, as the new millenium approaches, the people and the government of Armenia stand face to face with new realities. With globalization and the high-tech information age, the world is economically racing forward. Armenia must, by capitalizing on its educated manpower, organized society and stable political environment, carve its place in world economics.

In order to avoid being left behind, it is our belief that by implementing economically mutually beneficial programs in a regional sense, not just Armenia, but the Southern Caucasus will become an active member of the world economy. Thus, the standard of living of the people will rise and the safety and security of the region will be ensured. Armenia is poised to play a catalytic role in establishing meaningful regional cooperation.

Additionally, Armenia realizes that its relationship with the Diaspora must change from an ad hoc one to one that has a specific common purpose. For this purpose, we sponsored the first Armenia-Diaspora Congress in an effort to strengthen the relationship between the people of Armenia and our brothers and sisters living outside of the Republic of Armenia. The Diaspora must become more effective in assisting Armenia to become an economic player in the new millenium. A strong, robust and economically competitive Armenia is a goal shared by the people of Armenia as well as the Diaspora.

Finally, our policies regarding regional cooperation and the strengthening of relations with the Diaspora are aimed at making Armenia an attractive place for foreign investments. In order to diminish the human costs of independence, Armenia must buttress its social and fiscal policies that aim to bring our nation into economic self-sufficiency.

Once again, I commend the UNDP for their in-depth report. I am hopeful that such efforts will continue to analyze how Armenia progresses in the new millenium.

Robert Kocharyan
President of the Republic of Armenia