Foreign counterintelligence service to be formed in Armenia

ArmInfo.  A foreign counterintelligence unit will be created within the Main Intelligence Directorate of the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia. At its November 24 meeting, the National Assembly's Defense and Security  Committee approved the government-submitted amendments to the laws  "On National Security Agencies" and "On Service in National Security  Agencies."

As Yesayi Mkrtchyan, Deputy Director of the National Security Service  of the Republic of Armenia, noted in his speech, the unit will also  ensure the security of Armenian diplomatic missions abroad. The Prime  Minister of the Republic of Armenia will be entrusted with  establishing procedures for interaction between intelligence and  counterintelligence agencies. The decision also proposes granting  national security agencies access, including electronically, to the  information systems and databases of state bodies, local governments,  and organizations to carry out their legally mandated functions.  According to the initiative, the powers of the Service's intelligence  unit to carry out intelligence activities will cease as early as  January 2026. A legal and organizational transformation of the  functions resulting from the formation of the foreign  counterintelligence unit must be implemented in advance to ensure the  continuous and effective implementation of foreign  counterintelligence functions in parallel with the termination of  foreign intelligence functions. Furthermore, the full implementation  of foreign counterintelligence activities requires the simultaneous  adaptation and redistribution of functions and human resources, a  delay in which could lead to operational instability, a decrease in  the effectiveness of counterintelligence measures, and a  vulnerability to the state security system.

As a reminder, the decision to establish the Foreign Intelligence  Service (SVR) from the National Security Service was made in December  2022. The Service is headed by Kristine Grigoryan, who previously  served as Deputy Minister of Justice and also as the Ombudsman of  Armenia. The government has allocated funds for the acquisition of a  new building for the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Republic of  Armenia. On September 11, at a regular meeting, the Cabinet of  Ministers decided to allocate approximately 2 billion 260 million  drams for the purchase of a new building for the SVR.