14:48, 20 March, 2020
YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is holding a meeting with Director of the National Security Service Eduard Martirosyan and Police Chief Arman Sargsyan. The meeting is broadcast live on PM’s Facebook page.
“I want to congratulate you on your appointments. After new appointments it’s an accepted practice in Armenia to introduce the new officials to their staffs, but today I decided to change that format”, Pashinyan said, adding that two reasons stand behind that decision.
“Firstly, I already introduced you to your staffs when you were serving as acting chiefs of your agencies. And secondly, given the current state of emergency in the country due to the coronavirus I avoided conducting an action out of the common logic”, he said.
Pashinyan thanked those NSS and Police officers who are assisting these days the healthcare ministry and doctors to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
On March 19 President Armen Sarkissian signed decrees on appointing Eduard Martirosyan NSS Director, and Arman Sargsyan – Police Chief. The president signed the respective decrees based on the PM’s proposal.
On March 16 Armenia declared a 30-day state of emergency to fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus. The state of emergency is effective until April 14, at 17:00. As of now, the total number of the confirmed cases is 136, one patient has recovered.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan