CREATION OF A NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL IS A MUST
By Karine Mangassarian

Yerkir.am
December 15, 2006

"It is necessary to create a second level of the executive power,
a National Security Council.

This is not stipulated in the National Security Concept that is
under discussion," Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Vahan
Hovhannissian said during a meeting with students organized by ARF’s
Nikol Aghbalian Student Union.

Hovhannissian noted that there is no consensus among the political
forces as to the future of the country. Meanwhile, in the developed
countries the political forces have a common vision of their countries’
future and they debate over the ways how to reach that future.

"In our society this vision is on the level of perceptions: everyone
understands where the threat comes from, they understand what we should
not do, but there is no singe document that would contain this vision.

Today the National Security Concept is being developed. However,
until this document is accepted by all of us we have to say that the
consensus on the future development of the country is on an intuitive
level," Hovhannissian said.

Commenting on some details on the National Security Concept
Hovhannissian pointed out one issue that is important for the ARF. "You
can create any document. Serious efforts were contributed to develop
the draft. It has passed expertise several times. It is a positive
document but there are no mechanisms for its implementation. We
believe the country needs a National Security Council.

Theoretically, such a Council exists in Armenia, but in practice –
it is absent. The executive power solves day to day issues and the
government that is dependant on the results of the election and the
National Assembly has too short a time which it uses to solve social
issues. However, we do not have a body that would have the vision
of Armenia in 50-70 years’ time and it is impossible to assign this
responsibility to the government," Hovhannissian told the students.