Accompanied by Chief of Police Vahe Ghazaryan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the Kumayri Police Department in Gyumri, where he attended the event dedicated to the launch of the Patrol Service in Shirak Province.

Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan, Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan, Director of the National Security Service Armen Abazyan, Minister of Justice Karen Andreasyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan, Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defense and Security Andranik Kocharyan, Human Rights Defender Kristine Grigoryan, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee Rustam Badasyan, Head of the European Union Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Lynne Tracy and others attended the event.

Prime Minister Pashinyan congratulated the Police officers on their professional holiday and said,

“Dear officers,
Senior staff,
Dear Chief of Police,
Distinguished members of the Government,
Representatives of the executive power,
Members of the National Assembly,
Distinguished foreign diplomats accredited in Armenia,
Dear colleagues,

I congratulate all of us on the occasion of the Police Day of the Republic of Armenia. I would like to express my satisfaction that we are celebrating the Police Day in 2022 with such an innovation, when the Patrol Police starts work in Shirak and Lori Provinces. This is a new breath for the Police of the Republic of Armenia, which should raise the quality of our work to a new level.

But I also want to underline that when we are repetitively emphasizing the involvement of new, fresh forces in the police system, this does not mean in any way that we underestimate the service that the Police of the Republic of Armenia has provided so far. The Patrol Police, I think, is a very good example of this consolidation, when the experienced police forces consolidate, unite with new people who have never served in the Police before. This lays the foundation for new relations, which is characteristic of the democratic level that the Republic of Armenia records today.

I would like to emphasize that our goal and vision is that the citizen of the Republic of Armenia should respect the police, because to respect the police means to respect the law. The police of the Republic of Armenia should respect the citizen, because to respect the citizen means to respect the right. But this set of law and right is the public order, the rule of law, the equality of all before the law, the formation of the constitutional state. And I want us not to underestimate this reform that is taking place.

First of all, I would like to thank the patrol service officers who started their service in the capital in July 2021, earning the incontestable respect of the citizens. And I also want to thank the police officers, so to speak, the old officers, who have shared, share and will continue to share their experience, knowledge, devotion with the patrol service officers. I would like to thank all our partners who are contributing to these crucial and fundamental reforms, underlining the leadership of the Police of the Republic of Armenia, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, the Deputy Prime Ministers of the Republic of Armenia, the Office of the Prime Minister, our international partners, emphasizing the support provided by the European Union and the US. I would like to express my special gratitute to the representatives of the civil society, who play their role, make every effort to gradually make these reforms perfect, because, let's admit, not everything goes smoothly from the very first stage, but especially in the face of these difficulties it is very important that we record our will to move forward, our ability to move forward, our determination to implement reforms.

Dear attendees,

Today we are marking the Police Day of the Republic of Armenia with the launch of the Patrol Police in Shirak and Lori Provinces. The day is festive, we are celebrating Police Day today in very bright colors. And especially against this background, I want us to remember and pay homage to all the police officers who were killed during the 44-day war, who were killed in the first Karabakh war, while standing firm in the positions of defending the Homeland and the rule of law. I would also like to remind that, in fact, the first units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia were police units, on the basis of which the Armenian Army was later formed. I suggest to pay homage to the memory of all our martyrs with a minute of silence, emphasizing the police officers today.”

After a minute of silence, the Prime Minister addressed the patrol service officers, saying, “Today, for the first time, you will officially perform your service and I want that as a result of your service and your cooperation with other police departments, the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, the law-abiding citizens feel confident, safe, respected, valued, while the citizens having problems with the law know that their violations will not remain unresponded. And this is not a whim, but a necessary action to protect and preserve the rights and freedoms of the society.

I once again congratulate all of us on the occasion of Police Day and wish good luck to the patrol police of Shirak Province”.

The Prime Minister then handed over state awards to a group of police officers on the occasion of their professional holiday.

After the awarding ceremony, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was introduced to the technical capabilities and equipment of patrol cars.

The Prime Minister also visited the newly established operative management center of Shirak Province, got acquainted with the works and technical equipment.