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Prime Minister states Georgia should have stronger intelligence service

By Tea Mariamidze
Tuesday, December 9
“The Georgian government attaches a great importance to strengthening state institutions, institutional establishments and the development of Georgian special services,” the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili stated while visiting a new learning centre at the Georgian Intelligence Service on December 8.

The Prime Minister discussed the challenges on the path of the country's Euro Atlantic integration and noted that Georgia needs a strong intelligence service for a proper response.

According to Irakli Garibashvili, timely identification of threats and preliminarily informing the Georgian government significantly reduces the risks.

"For the past years the Georgian intelligence service did not have the proper support from the government. If not for their improper attitude to this service, our country would have avoided a lot of problems. Today, the government attaches great importance to the proper and effective functioning of the intelligence service, as this service provides security in the country,” the Prime Minister stated.

According to Garibashvili, particular attention should be paid to developing intensive contacts with partner special services. Also, in order to improve intelligence activities, it is necessary to have inter-agency coordination with the ministries of internal affairs, foreign affairs, defence and state agencies.

However, former government members stress that the previous government carried out all the reforms in the country in the defense and security fields. This moved Georgia to a completely different level and opened the door to Euro-Atlantic Integration.

Under the previous government NGOs and Human Rights’ defenders however, questioned the terrorism related detentions, when the previous government used to arrest people for spying or for purported terrorist acts.