We Cannot Implement Any 'Noble' Idea at the Expense of Security: Vanezyan

Former Director of the National Security Service Arthur Vanezyan, in an interview with Hraparak, responded to the comments made by Larisa Minasyan, the head of the Open Society Foundation, stating that the activities of Soros's foundation do not pose a threat according to the standards of the Armenian Constitution, and that they cannot pose one. He said, 'I assure you that if there were issues with the Constitution and laws, the strongest response would not be long in coming. In any case, the decision-maker is not any individual, including Ms. Larisa Minasyan, but the relevant state institutions.'

As for her comments, he noted, 'I must draw your attention to the fact that Ms. Minasyan already pointed out the danger that I referred to in her remarks. In their goals, she has not prioritized the security of Armenia. However, unlike Soros's foundation, anyone concerned about Armenia's future and the welfare of the Armenian people, regardless of their own objectives, must take into account the threats directed at our country.'

'If we lived, for example, on the Moon without external threats, I assure you that the agenda of the Open Society Foundations could only be welcomed. But we live in the South Caucasus, neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan, and we cannot afford to implement any 'noble' idea at the expense of our physical security. Thus, our neighbors' aggressive behavior, regional instability, our demographic crisis, migration rates, and so on are also standards we must keep in mind.'

'If you get a chance, try to ask Ms. Minasyan, for instance, is it possible to ensure the physical security of Armenia, Artsakh, and the Armenian people if all our women one day decide that they have no children to give to the army, that is, the very idea propagated by certain organizations receiving support from the foundation led by Ms. Larisa? I do not want to bring up other examples; if necessary, I will address them in more detail.'