ArmInfo.On September 20, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan introduced to the senior staff of the National Security Service (NSS) the interim acting director of the Service Eduard Martirosyan.
According to the Prime Minister, the NSS is an established institution. "But you and I agreed that our ambitions will grow consistently, and no matter how the structure takes place, our goal should be the continued development of the level of her professionalism," Pashinyan said. He added that everyone in Armenia - from the prime minister to the ordinary citizen, should work on a daily basis to improve their intellectual and professional level. After all, this is the key to progress, he noted.
Eduard Martirosyan, in turn, noted that it is a great honor for him to lead the structure in which he has been serving for more than 20 years. "I assure you that high-level professionals dedicated to their homeland serve in the SNB," he said. According to him, everything will be done to ensure stability in the republic, welfare and security of the citizens of Armenia and Artsakh and the unity of the nation.
The Prime Minister of Armenia held the final part of the meeting behind closed doors. Recall that on September 16, 2019, Nikol Pashinyan signed a motion for the resignation of Artur Vanetsyan from the post of director of the National Security Service (NSS) of the Republic of Armenia. "This happened as a result of several discussions with the director of the National Security Council and by mutual agreement. We discussed several scenarios of further activities of Mr. Vanetsyan. At the moment, I think Mr. Vanetsyan will focus on the issue of national and state importance on the withdrawal of the Armenian football team in the final of the European Championship, "said Pashinyan. When asked if he was dissatisfied with Vanetsyan's work, Pashinyan replied: "The work of the head of the National Security Council is not a work that can be discussed publicly." The corresponding decree was signed by the president on the same day.
Arthur Vanetsyan was appointed Director of the NSS on May 10, 2018. Vanetsyan worked in the structures of the National Security Service for many years. In particular, he was the head of the Yerevan branch of the National Security Council of Armenia, in 2015 he was awarded the state award by the then Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan. He had the rank of lieutenant colonel, but on July 5 this year Armenian President Armen Sargsyan, at the suggestion of the prime minister, signed a decree on awarding the rank of Major General to the Director of the National Security Service of Armenia, Arthur Vanetsyan.
It should be noted that Eduard Ashotovich Martirosyan (b. 1974) has been serving in the national security bodies since 1998. On October 16, 2018, by decree of the President of the Republic of Armenia, he was appointed deputy director of the NSS. He has the rank of colonel.