State Security Service Head: body’s efforts “significantly reduced” number of “terrorism supporters” in Georgia
The cooperation with strategic allies and friendly countries in various formats, including in counterintelligence, terrorism, cyber security and hybrid threats, was also pointed out by Liluashvili, highlighting the American partner’s important support in strengthening the capabilities of the Service in these areas. Photo via State Seucity Service
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Grigol Liluashvili, the Head of the Georgian State Security Service, on Thursday said the Service's efforts and the implemented measures “have significantly reduced the number of possible supporters of terrorism” in Georgia.
The Service was “actively” combating terrorism during 2022, with the identification and detection of terrorism threats, and simultaneously strengthening cooperation with international partners to obtain and share relevant information, Liluashvili told the lawmakers while presenting the Service’s 2022 report.
He noted that the state body had also taken appropriate preventive measures, improved the mechanisms of implementing counter-terrorist activities, as well as had strengthened the capabilities of responding to existing challenges.
Continuous training and professional development of the members of the units directly involved in the fight against terrorism were one of the important priorities of the Service”, Liluashvili emphasised, adding Georgia was “not a favourable” place for terrorist organisations and their supporters, as a result of the joint activities of the Service and other relevant agencies.
The 2021 Country Report on Terrorism of the US Department of State, which “positively” evaluated Georgia’s counter-terrorism efforts, was also highlighted by the SSS Head. The report showed that there was “a stable” environment in terms of terrorism in Georgia and the country was able to “properly” respond to, prevent and detect terrorist incidents, he added.
The cooperation with strategic allies and friendly countries in various formats, including in counterintelligence, terrorism, cyber security and hybrid threats, was also pointed out by Liluashvili, highlighting the American partner’s important support in strengthening the capabilities of the Service in these areas.
He also stressed the Service’s cooperation with NATO in 2022 and the implementation of relevant initiatives of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package.
The United States Department of State's 2021 Country Report on Terrorism on Tuesday said Georgia had continued its “robust engagement” on counterterrorism issues throughout that year and remained a “strong” security partner for the United States.
The Georgian State Security Service on Saturday announced the detention of Georgian citizen Malkhaz Paksashvili, the leader of one of the groups of the terrorist organisation Islamic State, by its Counterterrorism Centre.
Grigol Liluashvili, the Head of the Georgian State Security Service, on Wednesday said the French investigative services “have not contacted Georgia for legal assistance regarding the father of the Arras attacker”, who killed one and injured several people in a knife attack at a public school in northern France town of Arras.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday condemned the recent “terrorist attack” organised by Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas on Israel in a meeting with the country’s Ambassador to Georgia Hadas Meitzad in Tbilisi.
Grigol Liluashvili, the Head of the State Security Service of Georgia, on Friday noted the threat of use of nuclear weapons in the wider region and told MPs "smart" and "pragmatic" policy was key against the danger.
The Georgian State Security Service on Saturday said its Counterterrorism Centre had arrested two foreign citizens for the preparation of illegal transfer of a migrant across the state border of Georgia.
The importance of strategic partnership and “strong security cooperation” between Georgia and the United Kingdom was reviewed on Friday in a meeting between Grigol Liluashvili, the Head of the State Security Service of Georgia, and Mark Clayton, the British Ambassador to the country.
The current counter-terrorist situation in the world, the wider region and Georgia was discussed on Sunday in a meeting of the Inter-agency Standing Commission for Developing and Monitoring Implementation of the National Strategy and Action Plan for Combating Terrorism.
Georgian MPs from the Trust Group, a domestic defence and security platform in the Parliament, expressed their appreciation on Wednesday for the "highly effective coordination” demonstrated by the country's State Security Service in “thwarting all terrorism threats".
The Georgian State Security Service on Monday said the “false reports” on potential presence of explosives at several locations in the country's western city of Batumi, made on Sunday, had been made from abroad.
Kakha Kaladze, the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party and Tbilisi Mayor, on Monday commented on the statement of the State Security Service that said “false reports” originating abroad had been made on potential presence of explosives at several locations in the country's western city of Batumi, by alleging an “attempt to sow alarm among the public”.
The Georgian State Security Service on Monday said it had seized several units of special explosive devices and a “significant quantity” of explosive material allegedly originating from the Ukrainian city of Odesa and intended for transportation to Russia.
The Georgian State Security Service on Saturday said it had arrested a Georgian citizen for a false report on explosives onboard the Wizz Air flight from Kutaisi in western Georgia to Barcelona in Spain, which forced the jet into abortive landing on Wednesday.