Georgian PM hails "key role" of State Security Service on 7th anniversary
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibahsvili extended his congratulations at the anniversary event on Monday. Photo: Government of Georgia press office
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday commended the “crucial role” of the Georgian State Security Service agency in ensuring stability and security in the country and “strengthening Georgia”, in remarks for the seventh anniversary of the body.
Expressing gratitude to the employees of the GSSS, The PM said that the Government had proposed a number of reforms to create an “independent and strong” agency, which would be “accountable to the public” and would “ensure the highest level of security of Georgia and its citizens”.
It is a great honour for me to be here today. On behalf of myself, the Georgian government and the public, I would like to thank you for your work, for your loyalty, for your dedication and professionalism, for serving the country and its people. Of course, the challenges are many. It is no coincidence that the agency has been subject to targeted, orchestrated attacks by internal or external forces But I believe that this struggle will make you even stronger”, Garibashvili said.
PM Garibashvili said that the State Security Service has been subjected to attacks by domestic and foreign forces for its activities. Photo: Governmnet of Georgia press office.
Emphasising the agency’s anti-terrorist, anti-criminal, anti-corruption, crime prevention and other activities, Garibashvili stated that “the specificity of your work is such that your daily, sometimes high-risk work, often goes unnoticed by the general public. But I want you to know that we highly appreciate the great contribution you make to ensuring the security of our citizens and the country as a whole”.
Speaking about the challenges Georgia had gone through over the past 30 years, since the gaining of its independence, which included the occupation of Georgian territories and other threats provoked by domestic and foreign forces, the PM thanked the GSSS staff for “detecting and preventing various threats”.
The most important thing that makes us all happy is that the vast majority of your personnel are great patriots who serve and protect our country. I want to express my gratitude once again, may God protect you”, the PM said.
Grigol Liluashvili, head of the State Security Service, also addressed the audience, briefing them about the agency and its deeds over years.
Hybrid threats and disinformation against Georgia’s Western integration and “additional challenges” created for the country by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were noted by Aleksi Batiashvili, the Deputy Head of the State Security Service of Georgia, in his report on the work of the agency to the Parliament on Friday.
Activities of foreign special services designed to interfere in the public and political life of Georgia were a challenge for the country in 2021, an annual report of the State Security Service to the Georgian Parliament said.
Georgian citizen Ramaz Begheluri, who was illegally detained by Russian-controlled occupation forces for ‘illegally crossing the border’ near the Tskhinvali region on February 2, 2021 has been released earlier today, the Georgian State Security Service has reported.
The Georgian State Security Service says in its annual report of 2020 that there were several attempts by foreign intelligence services to ‘directly or indirectly interfere in Georgian internal issues.’
An inter-agency council chaired by the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili held a meeting on Monday to discuss priorities in the country's national development strategic document and necessary moves for its implementation, Government of Georgia press office said.
Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday congratulated employees of the country’s intelligence services on their professional date by stressing the “key element” of their institution in the state security system.
The Georgian state security service on Tuesday said its counterintelligence department had prevented the assassination of an Israeli citizen in the country by a group involving individuals with Pakistani and dual Georgian-Iranian citizenships, who have been arrested.
The Cybersecurity Bureau of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia has joined the Global Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams, an international organisation bringing together computer incident response professionals from governments, commercial and educational institutions.
Russia used its ongoing aggression against Ukraine to “intensify its annexation efforts” in Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions last year, a report by the Georgian State Security Service said.
An annual report by the Georgian State Security Service on Friday said “more intensive” cooperation with foreign partners and allies was of “critical importance” in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war.