On 19 December ceremonial meeting took place in the National Security Service of RA on the occasion of security authorities officer’s day. Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan participated in the ceremonial meeting.

Colonel Eduard Martirosyan, Interim Director of the NSS, gave a welcoming speech: “Let me note that this holiday indeed has a special place among all other holidays. This is the holiday of statesmanship, endless devotion to the Armenian people and to the Armenian State, people of character who put the interests of Armenian people and of Armenian state before their own interests and work all day long for their security, the holiday of honor. The Armenian security authorities undergone numerous upheavals throughout the history. And we are twice as happy that today we meet our professional holiday amid the rise and strengthening of the Armenian State”.

Martirosyan also added, “It is time for everyone to understand that henceforth Armenia is a state that will not allow unpunished infringements upon its domestic and external security interests. At the core of this statement lies the determination of our people to be the masters of their country, as well as the political will of the government elected by the people. In this context, I would like to note that the National Security Service and its leadership will spare no effort to ensure the continuity of the reforms being implemented in the system.”

On the occasion of the professional holiday, Prime Minister of RA Nikol Pashinyan also congratulated the security officers: “As the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, I trust the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia. During this period, there has been a lot of discussion about how much I, as the Prime Minister of RA, trust the NSS, which acted in the times when I was an opposition politician, and before that, when I had a status of a political prisoner. Even at that time the NSS, with understandable nuances of its activities, never crossed, at least at the time of its activities about which I can talk, the red lines that could exist at all in public relations. And also for that reason today, as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, I trust the National Security Service of RA, because I also believe that the NSS shouldn’t be a service to fit the activities of the government in office.

By the decrees of RA President and by the Decisions of RA Prime Minister a number of NSS officers were honored with state awards, letters of appreciation and commemorative medals for courage and dedication in the performance of their service duties. Intelligence officer Gohar Vardanyan, of blessed memory, was posthumously awarded by Nikol Pashinyan the Order of Honor for many years of service in the security bodies and for exceptional services to the Motherland.

Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan, Director of the NSS of Artsakh Samvel Shahramanyan, Defense Minister of RA Davit Tonoyan, Acting Head of the RA Police Arman Sargsyan, Prosecutor General of RA Artur Davtyan, Minister of Emergency Situations Feliks Tsolakyan, Head of the Special Ivestigation Service Sasun Khachatryan and Chairman of the RA Investigative Committee Hayk Grigoryan congratulated the NSS officers on professional holiday and handed them ministerial awards.

By the Decrees of Director of the NSS of RA a number of NSS officers were also awarded medals, award pins and honorary certificates.