Prime Minister to Appoint NSS Director and Deputies: Upcoming Legal Amendments

The Director and Deputy Directors of the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia are to be appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister of Armenia. This amendment to the law is proposed by the Ministry of Justice of Armenia.

Deputy Minister Arpine Harutyunyan, while presenting the proposed changes during a meeting of the National Assembly's Defense and Security Committee, noted that under the current law, these appointments and dismissals are carried out by the President of Armenia.

According to part 2 of article 5 of the Law on State Administration, the NSS is an agency subordinate to the Prime Minister, while the director and deputy directors, under the current regulations, are appointed and dismissed by the President. “We have reviewed the current regulations within the framework of the draft laws so that the appointment and dismissal of these individuals will be carried out by the Prime Minister, considering that the agency is subordinate to him,” emphasized Harutyunyan.

The Deputy Minister stressed that the amendment specifically pertains to the NSS Director and his deputies, meaning those holding administrative positions, and does not relate to the staff of other divisions within the NSS.

“After the adoption of the proposed changes, the director and deputies will be considered public officials, while other NSS officials will hold military positions,” she noted.

Harutyunyan added that, following the law's enactment, only the NSS Director and Deputies would be exempt from military service requirements.

The committee voted in favor of the proposed changes.