We have to eradicate corruption – Pashinyan comments on appointments of heads of Police and NSS

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan expects very serious results from newly appointed Police Chief Valeri Osipyan and NSS Director Artur Vanetsyan.

“Our revolution opens a new page. Before the revolution I and Veleri Osipyan, you and Valeri Osipyan, we and the Police were physically standing on the opposite sides of the barbed wires, and I thought that this decision will contain some symbolism. After this decision we all have to appear on the same side. This is symbolic and we have to try to eliminate the culture of barbed wires from the Republic of Armenia. I hope that Mr. Osipyan will justify the hopes of the citizens of Armenia, because today much depends on the Police”, Pashinyan said, adding that he has set clear tasks for Valeri Osipyan. “The citizens of Armenia must feel confident, protected and nothing must put at risk their feeling of being protected”, PM Pashinyan said.

As for the National Security Service, the Prime Minister of Armenia emphasized that, “In fact, the NSS must properly carry out its functions linked with intelligence and counterintelligence, because this is the external component of security”. Pashinyan also noted that one of the key tasks of the NSS must be excluding any types of misuse in the customs sphere.

According to PM Pashinyan, the NSS must take serious actions to tackle corruption. “Of course, this goes also for the Police and we must just eliminate corruption from the Republic of Armenia and we have to do this very quickly. The citizens of Armenia must feel the difference every day. The assessment of the work done by the Police Chief and NSS Director will be based on the results of the implementation of these tasks”, Pashinyan said, underlining that the people want to feel the results.

“I expect the public, as the highest authority, to oversee the works of all the officials, including me, the Police Chief and NSS Director and at that time we will have a situation that will satisfy all of us”, Pashinyan concluded.