Armenia`s Foreign Intelligence Service entitled to give access to  state secrets to foreign nationals 

ArmInfo.  The Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) of Armenia proposes to transfer to it the authority to issue a permit for foreigners to access information constituting a  state secret without the consent of the authorized body. The  initiative is posted on the single portal of legal acts.

As stated in the explanatory note to the document, in accordance with  paragraph 2 of the RA Government Resolution No. 87-N dated January  18, 2024 , heads of state bodies, local government bodies,  organizations, legal entities that possess information containing  state secrets and carry out work using them, issue foreigners permits  to access information containing state secrets due to the need to  perform their work or official activities or the need to perform  scientific work in the relevant body with the consent of the state  body authorized for national security issues. At the same time,  paragraph 4 of the resolution specifies the list of necessary  documents submitted to the authorized body to obtain its consent,  after which the authorized body carries out verification activities  and, in the manner established by the government resolution provided  for in paragraph 6 of part 2 of article 7 of the Law , approves the permit form or refuses to approve it.

As a result of amendments made to the Law dated  March 5, 2025, it was established that persons holding civil service  positions in the Foreign Intelligence Service, as well as persons  cooperating with the Foreign Intelligence Service, are granted  permission to access information containing state secrets by the  Foreign Intelligence Service in the general manner, in which case the  relevant verification activities are carried out by the Foreign  Intelligence Service jointly with the authorized body.

Now, the Foreign Intelligence Service proposes to authorize the  structure with the function of issuing permission for a foreigner to  access information constituting a state secret in connection with the  performance of his official or production duties or in connection  with the need to conduct scientific work in foreign intelligence  agencies without the consent of the authorized body.

Documents submitted by the authorized body to obtain consent will be  subject to verification by the Foreign Intelligence Service, and will  not be submitted to the authorized body, and the issuance or refusal  to issue a permit will be carried out in the general manner  established by law>, the document says.

The Foreign Intelligence Service separated from the National Security  Service in December 2022, and Kristine Grigoryan (former Ombudsman of  Armenia) was appointed its head.