New and optimal model aimed at improving efficiency of Rescue Service  to be implemented in Armenia

ArmInfo.  A new and optimal model aimed at improving the efficiency of the Rescue Service will be implemented in Armenia. This was reported to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan by Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan during the  presentation of the ministry's 2025 work report.

According to the government press service, Arpine Sargsyan, in  particular, touched upon the ministry's digitalization, the digital  products already implemented, and processes currently undergoing  digitalization. Work carried out within the framework of visa  liberalization between Armenia and the European Union was presented.  In this regard, the Prime Minister inquired about the plan for this  process and its current stage. "We've developed a plan for ourselves  and must ensure its implementation. Moreover, it fully aligns with  our strategic priorities. We currently have a document, and if we  analyze the actions of our ministries, we'll see that either they've  planned it and are already implementing it, or it's been planned and  is already in the process of being implemented, or we've already  discussed it, identified a solution, and it needs to be implemented,"  Arpine Sargsyan emphasized.

During the presentation of the report, work on implementing the  biometric passport and ID card infrastructure was mentioned.  Specifically, the implementation of the public- private partnership  agreement includes the selection and formation of a geographic  network of regional offices for the private partner, as well as  issues related to the head office, document design, and security  components. In response to a question from the Prime Minister, the  Minister noted that 21 of the 22 offices have already been  established. "According to our French partners, every effort will be  made to ensure that residents using this service have access to the  office within a maximum of 30 minutes," the Minister noted.

Particular attention was paid to the Strategic Plan for Migration and  Citizenship, which stems from the demographic strategy and the visa  action plan. The importance of the citizenship component was  emphasized, as well as the need for a comprehensive review of the  institution. It was noted that applications for citizenship of the  Republic of Armenia are accepted digitally. "As of January 1,  everything will be done digitally. All verification processes,  including queue management and payment processes, are conducted  through the platform," the minister noted. She also noted the  transformation of the State Population Register. It was noted that  the goal of this step is to create a unified, universal, and accurate  database. Various agencies will no longer maintain their own  databases, and government agencies will no longer direct citizens to  provide any reference or additional data. Citizens will have access  to their own data, as well as the ability to manage and submit  requests for data changes. Combining this with the electronic border  management system will transform it into a very powerful and  effective tool for migration management.

Arpine Sargsyan emphasized the citizen-focused approach to public  services for driver's licenses and vehicle registration.  Specifically, she presented the work and processes involved in  digitizing driver's licenses and vehicles, emphasizing that driver's  licenses and registration certificates have been digitized,  eliminating the need to physically store documents if the license is  valid. The car.mia.gov.am platform, which has won the "Innovative  Project" award, was presented, thanks to which the number of  transactions on digital platforms has reached approximately 600. In  response to a question from the Prime Minister, the Minister  clarified that everyone can log in to their account and view their  digital driver's license. "Registration certificates have also been  digitized. For example, if a patrol officer previously fined a driver  for not having a paper driver's license card, now no administrative  procedures are carried out; the driver's license is verified. We no  longer require a paper driver's license," said Arpine Sargsyan,  adding that the paper version will only be required outside Armenia;  for domestic procedures, the digital version is sufficient.

The operational logic of the 112 Operations Control Center, scheduled  to launch in February, was also presented, emphasizing that the new  module will integrate the Police Operations Control Center (1-02) and  the National Rescue Service Crisis Center (9-11), with the potential  to integrate the ambulance service (1-03) in the second phase, in  early 2027. The Prime Minister inquired about the operation of the  84-22 call center, to which Minister Sargsyan replied that it was the  call center of the Migration and Civil Service.  "Employees receive  calls through the system, and everything is fully tracked: when we  responded, when we left a response," the minister noted.

Next, a program for digitalizing the functionality of the Criminal  Procedure Police was presented. Prime Minister Pashinyan expressed  interest in the digitalization process.  Arpine Sargsyan noted that  police officers have a ton of paperwork on their shelves, including  names, records, and so on. "We may have complete information about a  person, but when a case is being processed in real time, we don't  know all the details: whether they're registered as having mental  health issues, whether they have alcoholism issues, whether they've  been on our radar, whether they have any administrative violations or  other offenses? Digitalization solves this problem."

According to the Minister, positive news from the Ministry of  Internal Affairs' perspective is the complete readiness of the  digitalization process for its most complex platform - the municipal  police, which will also be capable of using artificial intelligence.   "At the same time, we have a Criminal Police component, so its  employees can also work more effectively," said Arpine Sargsyan,  adding that the Patrol Police component has been fully digitized.

Particular attention was paid to enhancing the role of the  educational component and upcoming programs aimed at expanding the  Ministry of Internal Affairs' educational complex, as well as  approaches to human resources management.

Participants also touched on hybrid threats and the role of the  Ministry of Internal Affairs, emphasizing the role of public  communication. In the context of police development, long-term and  permanent solutions were discussed, beginning with the legal  framework and including at the strategic level. It was noted that the  Police Guard, established on November 1st and serving as a guarantor  of the effective exercise of citizens' right to peaceful assembly, is  for the first time guided by a standardized procedure for the use of  force by police officers. The introduction of uniform standards and  the development of a corresponding culture were described as a  complex but necessary process. Specialized courses for specialized  training and periodic retraining of police officers have been  developed, with a total of approximately 3,000 officers having  completed training. A negotiation group and a regiment for organizing  special tactical operations have been formed within the Police Guard;  these complementary and highly specialized units are designed to  effectively respond to modern challenges in ensuring public safety in  crisis and extreme situations.

The Minister presented a number of indicators demonstrating the  effectiveness of decisions made regarding the work of both the  municipal police and the criminal police and Patrol Service.  Specifically, 768 kg of various types of narcotics were seized in  2025, an 80% increase compared to the previous year. 2.5 tons of  illegally caught fish were seized, and four groups engaged in  large-scale investment fraud were identified. The number of firearms  seized, discovered, and voluntarily surrendered increased by 42.2%  compared to the previous year. Material damage to the state and  society amounted to 25 billion drams, and requests for escorts for  arrested and detained persons were satisfied by approximately 98%.  The criminal police recorded zero unsolved murders, which Minister  Sargsyan emphasized as an important indicator in the context of crime  prevention. In 2024, the Patrol Service solved 11,948 crimes,  compared to 14,969 in 2025, while the number of driver's license  revocations by police was 5,435. Since the introduction of the Patrol  Service, the number of victims in traffic accidents has shown a  steady downward trend: in 2024, the number decreased by 45 compared  to 2023, and by another 50 in 2025.  A high efficiency rate is also  observed in the area of administrative offenses: in 2025, the Patrol  Service recorded approximately 1 million offenses.

Speaking about the decline in road accident fatalities, the Prime  Minister noted: "On the one hand, they say so many people have lost  their driving licenses, but on the other hand, we are seeing a  decline in the number of casualties. These two figures should be  presented together," Nikol Pashinyan said.

The Minister of Internal Affairs clarified that an increase in road  accident fatalities was recorded in 2023 compared to 2022. However,  in 2024, compared to 2023, the number of fatalities decreased by 45,  and in 2025, by 50.

According to Arpine Sargsyan, positive changes have also been  observed in the work of the police. "We now have foot patrols of  police officers patrolling courtyards, various squares, and parks. We  have had cases of drug and bladed weapons being discovered.  Police  officers should not perceive themselves as only maintaining public  order during mass gatherings; they are police officers, and they must  carry out their assigned duties in any free time. Over the past two  months, police officers have identified 146 such cases," the Minister  of Internal Affairs concluded.

Border crossing statistics are also noteworthy in numerical terms.  Sector representatives explained that, with the exception of 2020 due  to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2025 was the first year in which the  difference between the entry and exit of RA citizens was positive,  reaching a relatively high figure of 8,660. This was presented as a  real change in trends, as the overall balance of border crossings was  also exceptional, at approximately +30,500, signifying a new  migration situation in the Republic of Armenia: Armenia has  transformed from a transit country into a point of entry.