PM says Grigoryan’s dismissal was part of political reshuffling

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the decision to dismiss Armen Grigoryan as Secretary of the Security Council was his own and should be viewed in the context of political developments that bring about changes and reshuffling.

Pashinyan said the decision was not driven by dissatisfaction with Grigoryan’s work.

On Thursday, Pashinyan appointed former Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan as the new Secretary of the Security Council, dismissing Armen Grigoryan, who had held the post since 2018.

Asked at a press briefing about the reason for Grigoryan’s dismissal, the prime minister said:

“It is not that I am dissatisfied with Armen Grigoryan’s work, but it is also not that I am so satisfied with my own work that I consider it perfect. I think such decisions are normal in politics. This is a discretionary position, and that discretion belongs to the prime minister. I have already thanked Armen Grigoryan for his work as Secretary of the Security Council, and I wish Alen Simonyan success as Secretary of the Security Council. I hope that Armen Grigoryan’s potential and experience will be useful. He has been involved in many important processes. We will still have opportunities to use his experience in building and developing the statehood of the Republic of Armenia,” Pashinyan explained.

Pashinyan also said that he had offered Grigoryan a position in the Prime Minister’s Office, but Grigoryan had declined, saying that he wanted to take a break from working in the public administration system.