On the occasion of Police Day, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took part in an event in Vanadzor dedicated to the launch of the Lori Province Patrol Service.

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.

The Prime Minister delivered remarks, saying,

“Dear police officers,
Distinguished members of the Government, law enforcement agencies, the executive, the legislature,
Dear Ambassadors,
Dear compatriots,

Today is a remarkable day for the Lori Province, the Patrol Police Service is being launched. It is very symbolic that we celebrate the Police Day in 2022 with such an innovation.

First of all, I would like to thank all the police officers for their service during this period. Particularly in the recent years, we have gone through very difficult developments and it should be noted that during this period the Police has remained at its height, on the one hand, protecting the rule of law, the Constitutional order, together with our other law enforcement and special services, on the other hand, has enabled the citizens to fully exercise their rights.

I hope that the Patrol Service will inherit all the best traditions of our Police and fill the gaps that we had before. In fact, the Patrol Police is a very symbolic service, because on the one hand it includes long-term police officers, on the other hand - citizens who have never dealt with the Police or dealt as citizens. This means that the Patrol Police can look at the situation from two sides, understand the situation from both sides, and address the situation in a balanced but decisive way. I would like to particularly emphasize that in terms of protecting law, rights, constitutional order, security of citizens, in the fight against crime, maintenance of public order starting with the traffic order, ending with the daily regulations, the police must be resolute and decisive.

Today, as a result of a significant increase in the number of cars, car accidents have increased, a large number of citizens are killed and injured on the roads every year. I am emphasizing this because the Patrol Police will also be on duty on the highways․ And I expect the service on the highways to be provided at a particularly proper level.

I especially want to emphasize one thing. We are carrying out a stanch fight against corruption. This applies to everyone - the Government, the political authorities, the law enforcement agencies and the Police. I would like to express hope that the Patrol Service, and the Police in general, will be free from corruption.

Today is the Holy Fire, and I want to remind all of you the words of the New Testament, when it says that one cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. The mammon in this case is the money. And to serve God means to serve the rule of law, the law, the people, the constitutional order. Citizens in the Republic of Armenia, on the one hand, should feel free, on the other hand, they should understand that this freedom is protected and maintained by the rule of law. I wish success to all of us in this mission, especially to you, dear police officers, because you are at the forefront of this mission.

Thanking our police for their service today, I want is to again remember those police officers who died during the 44-day war, who died during the first Karabakh war, who died defending the Homeland, who died protecting law and orights, fighting against crime. We bow before them and appreciate their devotion."

After a minute of silence, the Prime Minister once again thanked all the people and bodies who have contributed to the introduction of the patrol police in the Republic of Armenia.

"Now we are launching the work of the Patrol Service in Shirak and Lori Provinces, but right now the admission of Patrol Police candidates continues in Tavush, Gegharkunik, Aragatsotn and Kotayk Provinces. I would like to urge civilians, especially women, to take an active part in the admission, which means that they will spend five months taking training at the Police Academy, and then, after passing the qualifying exam, will start the service.

Dear patrol police officers, today is the first day of your service, I wish you trouble-free service for the benefit of the Republic of Armenia, the Constitutional order, the rule of law, the rights and freedoms of citizens," Prime Minister Pashinyan concluded.