On 16 September, the Head of the Armenian National Security Service Arthur Vanetsyan handed his resignation.

His full statement read:

“I hereby inform you that I have made a decision to submit a letter of resignation [for my] position of the director of the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia. In the current situation and in the context of [the future], I consider such a decision [to be] most preferred and most well founded option for serving to the Republic of Armenia and to my fellow compatriots.

“I have made this decision with the same confidence, as the one of agreeing to assume the office of the director of the National Security Service during that decisive period for our country.”

“My service of the past year and a half has been in front of you all; I have made every step guided by one principle: the Homeland and [that] the honor of an officer are above everything.”

“Statebuilding has its logic. Spontaneity of decisions, the turbulence of actions and the workstyle of not distinguishing primary and secondary, ephemeral and substantial issues is not the road that will lead towards fulfilling our goals. That does not have anything in common with the officer’s dignity: officer’s stripes and such flow of developments are incompatible.”

“Let my resignation be a sobering move calling “Stop it!”: in all other options the duty to the Homeland will prevail. May peace and security be with our country,” the statement read implying a hefty critique on the policies of the Pashinyan government. 

Prime Minister Nikol Pahinyan confirmed Vanetsyan’s resignation, stating that Vanetsyan will assume the position of the chairman of Armenia's Football Federation. Asked whether the prime minister sees criticism of his policies in Vanetsyan’s statement, Pashinyan said Vanetsyan is not a state figure anymore and is free to make public statements. “I usually respond to the statements I personally read. I will read it and [if necessary, I] will respond,” he stated.

During his service Vanetsyan was in the spotlight of several political affairs. On 5 September 2018, a Youtube video was leaked showing that Vanetsyan’s conversation with the head of the Armenian Special Investigative Service Sasun Khachatryan was wiretapped. In the video the two discussed the cases of Robert Kocharyan, the former president of Armenia, and Yuri Khachaturov, the former secretary-general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Both Vanetsyan and Kachatryan confirmed that the recording was genuine. Vanetsyan also accused the former head of the State Control Service Davit Sanasaryan of abusing his powers (Caucasus Watch reported), but failed to find any substantial evidence for the accusation.