At Thursday's Cabinet meeting, the Armenian government approved the separation of the State Protection Service from the National Security Service (NSS). After the parliament's approval, the agency will become a subordinate body to the Prime Minister.

Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan said at the Cabinet meeting that this change is being made as part of the security system reforms. “Previously, the regulations envisaged lifetime state protection service for the president. Now, the president will be provided with state protection service for seven years after leaving office. In the case of the prime minister, the term will be ten years," he added.

During the discussion on this matter, PM Nikol Pashinyan said that the extension of the terms would be possible upon necessity.

“The NSS will work in three main directions – counterintelligence, fight against terrorism, and protection of constitutional order. We must enhance its capacities and possibilities, and we are doing it,” Pashinyan said.

Armenian Government to Create Ministry of Interior

As part of a major structural reform, on November 24, the Armenian government approved the draft amendments to the Law “On the Structure and Activities of the Government." Under the law, the government formally decided to set up a ministry of interior.

"The interior ministry will comprise three major services: the police, the rescue service, and the migration and citizenship service," acting Minister of Justice Grigor Minasian said during a weekly cabinet meeting chaired by PM Pashinian. The minister added that the Prime Minister would appoint the heads of the services.

According to Minasyan, five main functional areas will be concentrated in the ministry: protection of public order, prevention, and detection of crimes, disaster risk management, migration and citizenship, management of state reserves, and humanitarian issues. He also stated that the creation of the Ministry of Interior would be followed by other initiatives at legislative and functional levels, which will finalize the implementation of sectoral reforms.

PM Pashinian said that the creation of the interior ministry is primarily aimed at “increasing the effectiveness of the work of the police.”