Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

On June 20, 2019, Artur Vanetsyan, Director of the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia, announced in the RA National Assembly that an information system would be introduced for the purpose of further development of cybersecurity of SCTO member states. For that purpose, as A. Vanetsyan stated, a certain amount of money would be allocated from the RA state budget. However, he considered it a state secret and did not mention the amount. 

A. Vanetsyan also assured the MPs that no information pertaining to the internal matters of Armenia would be circulated in that system and there was no threat of information leakage. 

On June 21, 2019, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor applied to the NSS director requesting information regarding the amount of money allocated from the RA state budget for the introduction of that information system.

Despite the announcements made by A. Vanetsyan in the NA, according to which he could not name the amount of money because of it being a state secret, G. Poghosyan, Head of Staff of Director of the National Security Service of RA, responded that “The National Security Service has no information regarding the amount of money allocated from the RA state budget”.