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Former Director of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) Artur Vanetsyan claims he does not know Armenia’s second and third Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan in person.

“I do not know Serzh Sargsyan in person, I have never met him. The same holds true for Robert Kocharyan. I know both of them as the second and third presidents of the country,” Vanetsyan told editors of print media on Thursday.

Commenting on his ties with Mikayel Minasyan, the son-in-law of Serzh Sargsyan, the former security chief said they have known each other for a long time.

“We haven’t been friends; we have just had normal relations. The last time I met him was when I served as director of the National Security Service. The meeting took place upon Nikol Pashinyan's instruction,” he said.

However, Vanetsyan was reluctant to disclose the content of the PM’s assignment, adding three officials were aware of it.

“They included me and two others who are no longer part of my political team today. Please reach them for further comments,” he said.

As for his acquaintance with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, the former NSS director said that he had contacts with him, but did not want to make them public not to harm the Armenia-related projects.