Special Body on National Security Issues May be Set Up in Georgia
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, February 1
(TBILISI)--Georgian Parliament’s Defense and Security Committee Chair, Irakli Sesiashvili, believes that the country might need to create a new body, working on national security issues.
Sesiashvili explained that after the State Security and Crisis Management Board was abolished in 2018, coordinating bodies on national security policy planning are the National Security Council under the Presidential Administration and the Government of Georgia.
Moreover, after the new edition of the Constitution takes effect, the National Security Council will also be abolished.
The Chair of the Parliamentary Committee for Defense and Security says that in order to better the decision-making process on security issues , it is necessary to establish a unified analytical center at the national level.
“We are holding consultations with our partners and experts regarding this issue. If the analysis shows we need to create an additional body or structure, it is obvious that we will take this step,” he added.
Sesiashvili underlined that in his opinion the country needs to have a common vision in every direction - especially when it comes to defense and security.
“To my mind, in order to make the decision-making process better, it is necessary to form a unified analytical center at the national level, working not only on defense and security, but also in a different fields too, in order to show a common vision how the country should react,” he added.
The State Security and Crisis Management Board was abolished on January 1, 2018, on the basis of legislative amendments. A new structure was set up, the Emergency Situations Management Service, which is subordinate to the Prime Minister.
The separation of the Emergency Situations Management Agency was part of the structural changes announced by the Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, in early November, 2017.
The National Security Council (NSC) of Georgia, an advisory body for the President of Georgia dealing with matters of national security, was set up to organize the military development and defense of the country. The president of Georgia is the head of the National Security Council, approving the structure of the National Security Council Office, its personnel, and regulations concerning the office and its subdivision.
As soon as the new Constitution of Georgia takes effect, NSC will be abolished in order to establish new body – the National Defense Council which will function only during wartime.
