Nikol Pashinyan congratulates on professional holiday of NSS agents (video)
"By protecting the people you are protecting the source of power," caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in remarks at an event marking the 100th anniversary of establishment of the National Security Service (NSS) and the professional holiday of NSS agents. "National security bodies generally have had their contribution in the history of modern Armenia in the establishment of the state and safeguarding its security. This is a voluminous, sometimes or most often unseen, but highly important work and activity. The challenges of the modern world are complex and various. They imply a constant and dynamic perfection of work. Intelligence, counter-intelligence, anti-terror, maintenance of public order, control of our borders are a huge front of work that you have kept and keep with honor. The Armenian revolutionary events of April-May 2018 changed the life of the entire society. We as a nation are reconsidering the pathway that we passed and are outlining the future. In this context the National Security Service has assumed a special role, especially in maintaining lawfulness and the combat against corruption. We have no doubts that the existence of corruption and especially its spread is a problem jeopardizing national security. It is a serious challenge for our country and people. Today we are building a qualitatively new state, new society. Corruption and bribery must be ruled out in New Armenia, impunity of criminals, official misconduct and overall everything that is distorting the very essence of democracy. Previously it wasn’t accepted to speak about human rights and democracy with security bodies. We will speak from now on, because upholding constitutional order means to first of all protect the people’s power from all kinds of possible encroachments. The convictions of our revolution are literally written in our Constitution. By protecting the people you are protecting the source of power. There is no other, and there can’t be any other source of power other than the citizens of Armenia. Remember, corruption isn’t simply eating money. Systematic corruption is connected in the most direct way to processes of snatching the power from the people and keeping it unlawfully. Together with you and together with the entire society we will not allow this. From time to time law enforcement agencies in Armenia have been involved in political persecutions and we live in a time when from time to time accusations and doubts on political persecutions and others are voiced. For the record I want to once again note that any component of political persecution should be eradicated from our country and from the law enforcement system. State bodies, security bodies, law enforcement bodies should not be and should not naturally have the chance to become a tool of vendetta in the hands of [any] incumbent government. Each officer of both the national security service and overall law enforcement bodies must be confident that their actions stem from the law, conform with the law, serve the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, the interests of the law, our country, state and the people. We must create institutional guarantees so that no conviction happens against anyone at the will of any individual, be in prime minister, national security service director or any other official. This is the greatest task, and there is no doubt that we are devoted to this idea and vision."
