Armenia’s intelligence chief warns anyone attempting to “fish in troubled waters”
The ongoing developments are already turning into serious challenges against the country’s statehood, it is time to be more alert and prudent to refrain our generations from those irreversible consequences, Director of the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia Georgy Kutoyan told ARMENPRESS.
Mr. Kutoyan, in recent days the NSS made several statements expressing concern about the tense atmosphere in Armenia and relating to the formation and activation of tendencies threatening Armenia’s national security as a result. As one of the officials being most informed about the tactical situation both inside and outside the country, would you specify the reasons of these concerns?
“As you know, the National Security Service, operating under the PM, is responsible for ensuring the national security of the Republic of Armenia, for the solution of tasks reserved to its jurisdiction, with priority functions including ensuring our sovereignty, inviolability of state borders, territorial integrity, constitutional order, rights, freedoms and legal interests of the citizens, strengthening of the republic’s defensibility.
As a result of gathering, analyzing and studying information on both domestic and foreign developments, the National Security Service has always implemented and is now also normally continuing its functions for predicting and eliminating dangers which threaten Armenia’s security.
According to reputable international expert opinions, Armenia has been perceived as one of the safest countries of the world until recently, guarantees of which have been both the consistent and tense work of state bodies in difficult regional conditions, as well as the reasoning of our society and highlighting ideas of unlimited devotion toward the homeland, statehood and unity.
Unfortunately, observations of the latest events and their public and disguised motives and goals have proven that a consistent attempt is being made to disrupt the above-mentioned balance, which is already a direct encroachment toward the foundations of the state, rather than the authorities or individual statesmen or politicians.
In particular, intelligence reports gathered through ongoing tactical-reconnaissance operations of the NSS allows making conclusions that various both domestic and foreign forces, individual and groups seeking to weaken and destroy the foundations of the state simultaneously with the process of our citizens’ exercise of their constitutional rights, expect to launch their insidious plans against our sovereignty, inviolability of state borders and territorial integrity.
I don’t hesitate in giving such public commentary on these plans, because with the goal of implementing them an attempt is being made to sow clear hostility, hatred and intolerance within various layers of our society, the consequences of which won’t be possible to eliminate in a short period of time, and for a long time we, our children and the entire people will be forced to live in conditions of mutual distrust, anxiety and instability.
I don’t hesitate in making such public assessments to such plans also because individual people and groups want to take advantage of the situation in an attempt to complicate the situation even more through publicly dangerous actions, moreover to spread an atmosphere of fear in the country through their planned violent actions.
The next most concerning observation are the activation tendencies of actions against the republic’s defensibility carried out by our adversary.
The combination of the abovementioned facts gave grounds for the NSS to express concern that the ongoing developments are already turning into serious challenges against our statehood, it is time to be more alert and prudent for refraining our generations from these irreversible consequences.
As an Armenian, as a son and parent, I call for reasoning and solidarity, but also as director of National Security Service – I am warning that anyone attempting to “fish in troubled waters”, I say again – without exception no one will remain unpunished, any actions of any such individual will receive adequate assessment with the entire strength of law.
At the same time, I express hope that our citizens have enough wisdom that they themselves can draw correct conclusions on exiting the situation and best and measured solutions for not turning our homeland into chaos”, the NSS director said.
