Karen Andreasyan appointed as RA representative on international  legal issues

ArmInfo.  The previously dismissed head of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) of Armenia has been appointed as a representative on international legal issues.

Guided by Part 26 of Article 9 of the Law On Civil Service, Karen  Andreasyan has been appointed as a representative on international  legal issues, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's decision of August 30  says.

Previously, this position was held by Yeghishe Kirakosyan, and since  March 6 of this year, the post has remained vacant. The head of the  Office of International Legal Issues of the Prime Minister's Office  was Liparit Drmeyan, who was dismissed on August 29 - the day after  Pashinyan's 'famous briefing' in the government.

On August 28, Pashinyan, responding to a journalist's remark that  even the government recognizes the binding nature of the Stockholm  Arbitration Court's decision, said: 

"Who said that the government recognizes the binding nature of the  Stockholm Arbitration Court's decision? Whoever expressed such a  position should write a statement right now and leave. Such a  position is absolutely unacceptable. In response to a journalist's  remark that the government itself expressed such a position,  Pashinyan replied: 'The government is me. No one can have a position  that contradicts mine. In general, if there are people in the  government whose position differs from mine, let them write  statements right now and leave the building. If not, I will fire them  myself.' When asked about the possible consequences for the state in  the event of failure to implement the decision, Pashinyan replied  that the government won in arbitration and will defend its position.  Meanwhile, Karen Andreasyan previously headed the Ministry of Justice  of Armenia (in 2021-2022), after which he was appointed chairman of  the Supreme Judicial Council. On November 18, 2024, he resigned from  the post of head of the council and ceased to be a member of the SJC.  On the same day, five more members of the Armenian government  submitted their resignations after Pashinyan sent them an SMS calling  on them to step down.

Later, Pashinyan admitted that he himself asked some high-ranking  officials to leave their positions. "The reasons for making such a  request are not personal, but systemic, which I have spoken about  publicly," Nikol Pashinyan wrote on social networks.

And the resignations began shortly after the last government meeting,  during which Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the heads of law  enforcement agencies and the judiciary that his cup of patience had  run out. 'How can someone make a fuss in the state? Am I giving  anyone reason to believe that this can happen?' the prime minister  asked on November 15. He said that he was tired of holding working  meetings on this topic. From now on, there will only be decisions and  no one else will take part in them. 

"I will not allow anyone to think that it is possible to disobey the  prime minister. From now on, I will provide ideological, conceptual  directions, and the state system will have to fit into this," said  Nikol Pashinyan.