YEREVAN, MARCH 4, ARMENPRESS. The security level of Armenia and Artsakh cannot decrease at any moment of time, it must rather increase every day, Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) Director Artur Vanetsyan said in response to an inquiry of ARMENPRESS regarding his visit to Artsakh.

Mr. Vanetsyan, your statements made in Artsakh have become subject to broad discussion in the press, a reaction from Azerbaijan has also taken place. How would you comment on this?

• I am a professional officer and my job is to ensure security and to not allow any encroachment against the security system of Armenia and Artsakh. This is especially important in conditions when nearly every day statements on solving the conflict militarily, using force and the threat of force is being voiced on the highest levels from the neighboring country. Naturally, our security system must be ready to respond to these threats. Armenia’s and Artsakh’s security level cannot decrease at any moment in time, it should every day only increase and this is what our efforts are aimed at.

During a recent trip to Artsakh, Vanetsyan had made the following statement: “The program that we call a re-settlement program, at my and everyone’s assessment will be the main guarantee of our country’s security. Because those speeches, those expressions and those people who always manipulate this subject as if lands will be returned, will be negotiations, conceded etc., as a result of this program we will give a clear message to the entire Armenian people and the whole world that we do not have a goal to surrender not even an inch of land, but on the contrary, our countrymen must live on our lands and build our country”.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan