Armenia to re-establish interior ministry
YEREVAN, July 12. /ARKA/. The Armenian parliamentary committee on defense and security affairs convened today parliamentary hearings on the government’s plans to create a ministry of interior as part of a major structural reform of the national police service.
Armenia had an interior ministry until former President Robert Kocharyan abolished it and turned the police into a separate structure subordinate to the president of the country. The police became accountable to the prime minister after Armenia shifted to a parliamentary system of government.
Andranik Kocharyan said today that the re-establishment of the Ministry of Interior has been an important priority of the government since 2018.
"By restoring the Interior Ministry we will solve several critical problems: specific functions of the Interior Ministry will be established and a new system of training of police officers will be installed," he said.
As part of a major structural reform of the national police service Patrol Police, a new police unit tasked with road policing, crowd control and street patrol, was established last year.
These and other changes, according to Kocharyan, will increase the attractiveness of service in the system and improve the manageability of the country's internal security.
"I express my gratitude to government agencies and all our international partners: the U.S. government, the EU, OSCE. Thanks to their continuous concerted work the creation of the Ministry of Interior was launched. I would also like to thank the OSCE and German Government for their assistance in organizing today's hearings," he said.
In 2020 alone the USA, EU, OSCE, UNDP and World Bank provided more than 5 billion drams in assistance to support the reform and also pledged to provide assistance in the same volume in 2021 and 2022.
Armenian Minister of Justice Karen Andreasyan said today that amendments to the draft law (on creation of Ministry of Interior) are envisaged within 10 days, including the proposals made during today’s hearings.
"In September, I hope MPs will discuss and approve this package of amendments. Then we will have a ministry that everyone will be proud of," he said. -0-
