PM: NSS and Police Will Strengthen Under Anti-Corruption Strategy

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is convinced that the National Security Service (NSS) and the police will strengthen under the Anti-Corruption Strategy. The Prime Minister stated this during a government meeting, responding to opinions suggesting that the strategy would weaken the mentioned law enforcement agencies.

“We realized that the term 'vetting' creates significant allergies, so we decided to keep the substance but change the title. We are stating that there must be effective mechanisms to check the integrity of public officials, and we are creating these step by step,” he said, adding that following discussions, they concluded that under the draft strategy, the NSS will undoubtedly become a much stronger entity with serious, profound, and substantive functions.

“The National Security Service must be the backbone of the people's security. With this project, the NSS is going to strengthen significantly and will have much more important levers to prevent threats,” the Prime Minister stated.

He noted that the same issue applies to the Police, and they have come to the conclusion that the police will also strengthen in terms of ensuring public safety.

On October 3, the government approved the draft decision on the "Anti-Corruption Strategy of the Republic of Armenia and the Program of Measures for its Implementation during 2019-2022." In order to consistently implement the conceptual preconditions and principles declared by the Armenian Government in the fight against corruption, the Anti-Corruption Strategy will aim to create and develop the necessary institutional frameworks for more targeted action against corruption, to shape the image of public servants as lawful and conscientious, and to minimize the opportunities for applying dual approaches in the regulatory frameworks of sectoral legislation. It will also ensure the continuous introduction of transparency and participatory tools, enhance the effectiveness of uncovering corruption cases, and establish effective procedures related to the confiscation of property of illicit origin.

At the same time, the Strategy specifically addresses anti-corruption education and the cultivation of a negative attitude towards corruption through awareness-raising. With the adoption of the Strategy, it is expected to strategically reduce corruption, develop the anti-corruption institutional system, and create effective procedures for combating corruption.