SC Secretary’s Speech at the 10th Annual International Meeting of High Representatives Coordinating Security Issues

18 / 06 / 2019

Today, the Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia Mr. Armen Grigoryan delivered a speech in the Russian city of Ufa at the “10th Annual International Meeting of High Representatives Coordinating Security Issues.”

The speech was devoted to the topic of “Ensuring national State Security and Sustainable Social-Economic Development under the Conditions of Hybrid Threats Growth.”

The full English version of the speech is presented below.

“Dear participants of the meeting,

First, let me greet all of you and wish fruitful work. I also want to thank the Russian side in the head of the Secretary of the Security Council of the RF Mr. Nikolai Patrushev for warm reception and good organization of today's event.

This is the 10th Annual International Meeting of High Representatives Coordinating Security Issues, which has already become a traditional annual forum and an effective platform for discussing issues of current interest of the security sector.

The issue of ensuring national security and sustainable social-economic development of the states under the conditions of hybrid threats growth is of importance today, so its discussion in the framework of the agenda of our meeting is a timely and right step.

In parallel with the intensification of the existing challenges and threats to the national security, fundamentally and qualitatively new manifestations of them have emerged. At the same time, the growth of non-military challenges and threats has become a characteristic trend differing from the spectrum of traditional military challenges and threats in principle.


It should be noted that in the modern world it is difficult to imagine the conduct of military operations in its initial form without the use of various accompanying means of guidance. At the same time, hybrid influence can and is often used without the use of military force, and the military force actually becomes the final argument when no other hybrid measure has brought the expected result.

There is another important factor: today, an explicit military action against someone for various circumstances and reasons is often either impossible or difficult or is fraught with undesirable international reaction. A purely hybrid influence gives its authors the opportunity, if necessary, to maintain anonymity, distance, and stand aside, deny their involvement as a party in the ongoing conflict.

Influence of hybrid tools can be either, short-term or long-term in its nature – from cyber-attacks on, political, diplomatic, and financial-economic pressure acts to long-term and targeted activities, with the aim of international isolation of states and their elimination from major international and regional infrastructure and investment projects.

To weaken the economy of the target state attempts can be made to impose ideas about the supposedly unfavorable investment environment in a particular state on potential domestic and foreign investors, to create an atmosphere of distrust and uncertainty with the help of the media under control. For this purpose, the information that leads to such conclusions is purposely disseminated in the information field, with the help of biased structures, ratings data are artificially lowered and unfavorable social-economic forecasts are made which are false.

In general, it should be emphasized that today, the information component often occupies a central place in the general spectrum of the hybrid threats due to the rapid development of the information and communication technologies and their involvement in almost all the areas of activity. Paradoxically, in the 21st century - in the most informed and educated century of human history - it is often easier to mislead millions of people, to impose your point of view on them than before.

In order to blur the idea of “motherland” and to weaken the perception of a single and indivisible homeland, attempts can be made by means of destructive propaganda to spread inter-ethnic conflicts in multinational states, or to split various parts of one nation along religious, regional, patriotic or other grounds.

I shall note that at different times attempts were made to divide different parts of the Armenian nation, but they all ended in failure. The reason is that the Armenian nation, being formed in ancient times and relying on its own civilization basis, has passed through the most severe trials and has gained a strong immunity against such actions for thousands of years.

The counteraction to hybrid threats should also be flexible and dynamic, diverse and multidirectional.

Creation of necessary domestic legal framework and the existence of up-to-date, conceptual and strategic documents meeting modern requirements play an important role in fight against hybrid threats. In this regard, I inform you that at present we have initiated the preparatory procedure of a new National Security Strategy of the Republic of Armenia. Not only the state bodies, ministries and agencies are widely involved in this process, which is being coordinated by the Security Council Office of our country, we also hold regular meetings with representatives of non-state structures and expert community. During the meetings I represent our vision of a new Strategy; very substantive discussions are being held on the whole range of issues related to the preparation of the new document. First, we proceed from the fact that the new National Security Strategy should ensure security of the Republic of Armenia stemming from the interests of all the Armenians.
I would also like to note that the development of the draft document on Cybersecurity Concept of the Republic of Armenia is in process, which is being developed in line with the National Security Strategy.

In countering hybrid threats, we attach particular importance to expanding and deepening international cooperation, as without this component, no state today is able to fully ensure its security. The Republic of Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and develops strategic partnership relations with its closest allies on a bilateral basis as well.

I would like to note that in the “2025 CSTO Collective Security Strategy” adopted in 2016 the use of “hybrid warfare” technologies is indicated among the factors that have or may have a negative impact on the collective security system. As a result, it is planned to study and analyze the practice of using hybrid technologies among the activities planned for the implementation of the national Security Strategy.

The Republic of Armenia also carries out mutually beneficial cooperation in the security sector with other states, international organizations and partners.

We are open for joint and constructive work with all the countries and structures interested in enhancing international and regional security level.

Dear Colleagues,

Today, fundamental changes and large-scale reforms are being carried out in almost all the spheres in the Republic of Armenia in order to create a competitive and technologically developed national economy. We are convinced that the tangible results already achieved in many areas will increase the safety level of our economic system and will play an important role in countering hybrid threats as well.
One of the most important indicators of an economic stability in Armenia is a stable rate of the national currency-the Armenian dram, in relation to the leading world currencies. In the state budget of Armenia for 2018, economic growth forecast was 4.8%, and inflation rate - 2.7%. As you may know, in 2018, fundamental changes took place in Armenia. This increased the resilience of the Armenian economy, and the economic growth in 2018 was 5.2%. Moreover, Armenia's GDP for the first quarter of 2019 grew by 7.1%, and the economic activity index for April was 9.2%.

International economic integration in the modern world is structured in a way that not a single, even economically developed, large and self-sufficient country cannot completely do without import of certain types of raw materials, components and finished products. Armenia is a small country with developing economy, and in this regard, effective, multilateral international cooperation is of particular importance for us and is an essential element in ensuring economic security.

One of the priorities of our government is the accession to the Eurasian Economic Union. We strive for more effective participation of Armenia in this Union, at the same time making efforts to improve cooperation mechanisms and ensure full functioning of existing integration tools.

Summing up, I would like to note that the emergence of hybrid threats requires both founding of new conceptual and strategic approaches, as well as formation of effective practical mechanisms to counter tools of the hybrid influence.

In conclusion, I would like to thank the representatives of the States in this hall for the attention and wish success in their work.

Thank you.”