Today, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended a gala event dedicated to Investigative Committee Officer’s Day.

The Prime Minister congratulated the Committee staff on their professional holiday and wished them every success in their mission of enforcing lawfulness and justice in the country. “We should clearly state that the law-enforcement system and society in Armenia have gone through a very complicated period. I am confident that we are entering a completely new era where the protracted period of tensions is being replaced with the crucial stage of establishing new relationships, mutual trust and cooperation because I consider it a problem when there is no cooperation between the public, the law enforcement system and investigative bodies in any country. This is the first and foremost precondition for illegality in the country. Obviously, we have gone through that cycle, and we even know its reasons. To what extent these reasons are acceptable is another issue, but we know the reasons, and today we can state that those reasons were eliminated,” Nikol Pashinyan said.

The Head of Government noticed that the process of rapprochement between the public at large and the investigative authorities should be implemented as quickly as possible, noting that it had already begun.

“I am well aware that the investigative authority has been working under pressure over the past five months, and I want to thank you for hard work, dedication and understanding. I think this is also due to your professionalism, and the fact that political interventions have been ruled out in the process of investigation. In other words, any citizens of the Republic of Armenia are subject to criminal liability should there be sufficient legal grounds for it. We rule out that any innocent citizen may be prosecuted through political or any other interference. I am convinced that this atmosphere exists today in our country,” the Prime Minister noted, adding that the barricades will be dismantled in due course.

The Head of Government expressed conviction that with sharp and steadfast steps we are approaching the time of dismantling the barricades, and the forthcoming parliamentary elections will usher in that very era.

“There is an attitude toward political parties, different agencies and circles, but in general I do not consider the leveling or group assessment to be acceptable, because people are not the same, and one cannot assess individuals based on the most adverse instances registered in a specific field. On the contrary, we must now try to change that logic and highlight the most positive aspects of a given area of activity and make an idea of a sphere based on positive examples.

The time of building barricades differs from that of dismantling them in that there should be no divides during the latter, which means that there is an open invitation for all citizens of the Republic of Armenia to get professionals involved in Armenia’s development effort, State building, security, welfare and justice. And I am convinced that there is sufficient potential in Armenia’s State agencies and outside them that needs to be engaged in the process of building the future of our country. At the same time, I think there is such potential in the political forces that have emerged from the barricades, but after the barricades are dismantled, of course, all those who have professional qualities and willingness to serve the country, will be invited to serve our common work, our common dreams,” Nikol Pashinyan underscored.

On Prime Minister Pashinyan’s initiative, a group of IC employees were presented with State awards. In particular, Head of IC Yerevan Investigation Department, John Farkhoyan and Deputy Head of IC Chief Military Investigative Service Gagik Mayilyan were awarded the Mkhitar Gosh Medal. Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee Artur Ghambaryan was conferred upon the honorary title of Distinguished Lawyer of the Republic of Armenia. Rafael Vardanyan, Deputy Head of Corruption, Anti-Property Crime and Cybercrime Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee for Major Case Studies, received the Prime Minister’s diploma, Deputy Head of IC Yerevan Department Aharon Nersisyan and IC Kotayk Marz Department Mher Vardanyan were awarded Prime Minister’s Commemorative Medal.