National Security Council meeting reviews critical infrastructure, occupation, strategy papers

Reform of the field of the security of critical infrastructure, the ongoing situation in the occupied territories, and review of a range of strategic draft documents pending approval were reviewed at the latest meeting of the National Security Council on Wednesday.

Led by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, the meting involving the secretary of the council along with ministers of interior, defence and finance, as well as State Security Service head, and chiefs of intelligence and Georgian Defence Forces.

The officials discussed a framework of the law for protecting critical infrastructure, currently being agreed with specialised state agencies, the government's press office said.

Issues in the occupied territories, including unlawful appropriation of land and arrests of Georgian citizens by the occupying forces and de-facto governments, were also on the agenda. The participants also talked about efforts to be used in the government's work to ensure release of the unlawfully detained citizens of the country.

The cases include that of Zaza Gakheladze, who was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison by de-facto authorities in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region last year.

The meeting involved reviews of strategic paper drafts for sectors of national security. Photo via Government of Georgia press office.

A number of draft papers concerning official state strategy in a number of national security fields were also reviewed at the Council meeting, among them the National Security Concept, which has been circulated among state agencies. The paper is set to be presented to the parliament in the fall session.

Questions of approving the National Cybersecurity Strategy and Action Plan were also raised, with the document to be presented for approval to the government next month.

The matter of adopting the Strategy Against Organised Crime was also discussed, with the interior ministry's final draft of the document to be presented for approval to the government after its upcoming review at the National Security Council Committee.

Beside the permanent participants in the Council, the discussions of the national security subjects involved Minister of Reconciliation and Civic Equality, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Defence and Security Advisor to the President of Georgia as invited participants.