The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan visited today the RA Investigative Committee and took part in the solemn session dedicated to the 7^th anniversary of the establishment of the Investigative Committee. The leadership of the Investigative Committee and the leaders of the structural subdivisions were present at the event.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a congratulatory speech in which he mentioned

“Honorable Chairman of the Investigative Committee,
Dear partners,

I congratulate all of us on the Day of the Employee and the 7^th anniversary of the Investigative Committee. I think, especially at this stage of the development of our state, when we face numerous challenges, we must again and again emphasize the necessity of the establishment and development of the state institutions. In this regard, I would like to particularly emphasize the enhancement of the efficiency and quality of the work of the law enforcement agencies which is crucial for further development of our state and management of challenges. In this regard, on the days and anniversaries of all the investigative bodies we emphasize the necessity of the enhancement of the quality of preliminary investigation. It should be recorded that in this respect we have a continuous progress but we should also record that what we have acquired is not enough. In this regard, I would like to emphasize two important components.

It is very important to set a more reliable և higher benchmark for social guarantees along with the enhancement of the quality of the work standards in the Investigative Committee, investigative bodies, law enforcement bodies and state management system, in general. It is also one of the priorities of the policy adopted by the Government. But I should also say that we cannot develop this direction in desirable speed in all state bodies if we do not combine it with the process of enhancement of efficiency of state institutions in all regards.

The Investigative Committee is the largest investigative body of our country, we highlight and appreciate its work highly. We also don’t want to lose the issue of the enhancement of efficiency from our sight as to make the system efficient means to give an opportunity to the Government to enhance the efficiency of the social guarantees – salaries and so on faster, in a more confident և targeted way. I want to come to an agreement on this issue to be on our overall agenda. It is not only about the Investigative Committee. It is about all our state bodies and this direction should be developed.

The next issue I would like to refer to just in this context – it is important for the public to receive full answers on circumstances of 44 days of war, the whole picture of what has happened. Of course, I don’t think that we should expect these answers only from the Investigative Committee, after all, the issue has a broader context and I think that the investigative commission of the National Assembly will cover this broader context.

I also attach importance to the efficient preliminary investigation of criminal cases on circumstances of the war for our public and the relatives of the victims to receive certain answers to certain questions. Moreover, to mean any presupposition here would be a fatal mistake. The formulated questions should just receive objective answers so as the statements on guilt or innocence would not be based on individual perceptions and incomplete understanding of the situation.

Our today’s conversation turns out to be more laborious and there are some disturbing colors but I don’t want us to make this logic the only thing to say today. I want to thank all of you for the work done as we should also record that our country is going through a very difficult period and has gone through these difficulties in a very tense period full of culminations. And the fact that we managed to end that period with elections, internationally recorded as corresponding to the standards of democracy, is also a very significant expression of the activity of law enforcement bodies and strength. I would like to express my appreciation on that occasion and emphasize that I highly appreciate the role of the Investigative Committee in this period.

I would like to emphasize what I am speaking about. It is clear that the Investigative Committee has not been politically active or involved. The point is that in very difficult and turbulent times our law enforcement agencies have been in their positions and have ensured the normal activity of state institutions, state functions and levers. Although, it is obvious that law enforcement bodies could not help being affected; starting from the emotional level and considering the environmental influences, as well, they could not help being affected by all this. It shows that the state still relies on the institutions, the institutions rely on persons and this situation shows that in our state institutions there are enough such people who can put the state and state interest, the mission, the function, the ensuring of the rule of law and legality above everything at the most responsible, the most difficult moment. And I would like to thank all of you for this attitude and position.

But I should also say that during this period analysis is very important – what has happened to us. Without predetermining anything one of the most obvious conclusions of this analysis, I think, will be the fact that, nevertheless, in the sphere of the establishment of the state institutions we have certain problems and we must first solve these problems for these institutions to be really primary and personal perceptions, approaches and desires to have influence on the work, the content and results of these institutions as little as possible.  

I again congratulate you on the day of the employee of the Investigative Committee and wish success to all of you in favor of activities for the Republic of Armenia, for legal order of the Republic of Armenia, for ensuring and protection of the state, statehood, sovereignty which, after all, comes down to the protection of our people, their rights, their security, will and dreams.

Thank you”.

The Chairman of the Investigative Committee Argishti Kyaramyan also made a congratulatory speech. The IC Chairman thanked the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for the words of appreciation and presented the activity of the Investigative Committee.

Referring to the work done from September, 2020 to this day Argishti Kyaramyan mentioned that in that period the IC investigators have worked overloaded and it is still going on conditioned with the great number of initiated criminal cases and process of preliminary investigation. According to him the relevant subdivision of the Investigative Committee is investigating the criminal cases on crimes against the order of military service during the war and the IC is able to conduct comprehensive and objective investigation to disclose the circumstances of 44 days of war and publicize them.

Then the solemn awarding ceremony followed; Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan handed over state rewards to the employees of the Investigative Committee for the contribution to strengthening the rule of law and legality; the Head of the RA IC General Department of Control over Activity of Territorial Investigative Departments, First Class Counselor of Justice Vigen Mesropyan and the Head of the IC Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the General Military Investigative Department, First Class Counselor of Justice Rafayel Vardanyan were awarded with medal “Mkhitar Gosh”, the Head of the IC Division of Investigation of Traffic Crimes of Yerevan Investigative Department, Second Class Counselor of Justice Edward Karapetyan and the investigator for particularly important cases of the Department of Investigation of General and Election-Related Crimes of General Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Cases,  Second Class Counselor of Justice Vache Mkhitaryan were awarded with the RA Prime Minister’s Commemorative medal.