Armenia`s EIS to issue permits for access to state secrets 

ArmInfo. Permission to access state secrets will be granted by the Foreign Intelligence  Service of Armenia. The Committee on State and Legal Affairs of the  National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia issued a positive  opinion on the amendments to the law "On State Secrets" submitted by  the government in the second reading at the meeting on February 26.

According to the Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service, only  the RA government submitted its proposals for the second reading,  which are of an exclusively reactionary and technical nature and do  not affect the content of the document.

According to the amendments, the procedure for granting permits will  be regulated by decrees of the Prime Minister of the Republic of  Armenia. The Foreign Intelligence Service is in the process of  formation and the presented draft law is part of this process.

Work in this direction will be carried out in the context of ensuring  national security: on the one hand, by foreign intelligence  represented by the Foreign Intelligence Service and on the other  hand, by counterintelligence represented by the National Security  Service.

In order to maintain confidentiality, interdepartmental control may  be carried out in cases and to the extent previously agreed upon with  the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service. The SVR is vested with  the authority to carry out operational and investigative measures  provided for by law in the event of suspicions of violations of the  requirements of the law by individuals and legal entities admitted to  state secrets.