Armenian government OKs bill to set up interior ministry
The Armenian government on Thursday endorsed a bill to close down the Ministry of Emergency Situations and set up an interior ministry comprising the police, rescue and migration services.
The new ministry will be responsible for maintenance of public order, prevention and detection of crimes, disaster risk management, migration and citizenship, management of state reserves and humanitarian issues.
Speaking at the cabinet meeting, caretaker Minister of Justice Grigor Minasyan said that the ministry will have anti-corruption and internal security unit, which will ensure control over the entire ministry. He said the emergencies ministry would be dissolved within four months.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in his turn that the police chief will serve as first deputy interior minister and will be a member of the Security Council. He also noted that the police troops will be reorganized into the police guard, adding the salaries of police officers and rescuers will double after the introduction of the voluntary certification scheme.