Presentation of “Comprehensive Security” by Eduard Abrahamyan and Gevorg Melikyan Held in Yerevan (Photos)

Funded through a grant from the Arar Foundation, the authors spent a year researching in Armenia and abroad, including in Israel, to gather insights and propose a new framework for national security. The result is a conceptually rich and practically grounded approach called the Comprehensive Security System (CSS).

David Pakhchanyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arar Foundation, emphasized the urgency of the project:

“Armenia is in a situation where old solutions no longer work. Our aim was to explore models of comprehensive security and develop long-term strategies. This book stresses a key truth: security is not just the responsibility of the army or law enforcement, it's a shared duty across society and state institutions.”

Gevorg Melikyan underscored the need to rethink how Armenia understands threats in the post-war reality:

“After the 2020 war, it became clear that Armenia is facing hybrid threats, wars without gunfire. Our book analyzes why the current system failed, beyond the Four-Day and 44-Day wars. The failure was systemic: ineffective cooperation, strategic miscalculations, and the absence of a functioning intelligence apparatus.”

Eduard Abrahamyan highlighted the theoretical and philosophical foundations of their proposed system:

“We looked at how other countries structure their security frameworks, but adapted our model to Armenia’s context. At the core of international relations is power, and that power must be understood not just militarily, but across economic, psychological, and infrastructural lines. A comprehensive security system is the backbone of a resilient state.”

The book proposes a seven-pillar model for CSS: military, institutional, ideological, economic, informational, civil, and international. The authors advocate a shift away from reactive, fragmented defense policies toward proactive, interconnected planning that engages society as a whole.

In a lively Q&A session, Abrahamyan and Melikyan emphasized that “the foundation of realism is self-reliance, what applies to individuals must apply to the state.” The event concluded with a discussion on how this concept might be implemented in practice.

“Comprehensive Security” is part of Newmag’s Newmag & Friends program, an initiative dedicated to publishing works that shape public discourse and contribute to Armenia’s strategic thinking.