Georgian Intelligence Service

HISTORY OF GIS

In 1991, after the restoration of the independence of Georgia, former State Security Committee was transformed into the Ministry of Security of Georgia and afterwards in 1992 - into Information-Intelligence Service (later Ministry of Security of Georgia) compounding Intelligence Division. The heads of the Intelligence Division during this period were: Murman Kalandadze – (1991), Guram Rekhviashvili – (1991), Davit Bazghadze – (1991-1994), Giorgi Eristavi – (1994-1995), Guram Rekhviashvili – (1995-1997).

Georgian Intelligence State Department as an independent agency was formed on September 19, 1997, officially declared as a Georgian Intelligence Service employee’s professional day afterwards. The department combined the operations, information and analysis, human resources, inspection and security divisions as well as the signals intelligence center, regional divisions in Adjara and Abkhazia.

From 2004 until the beginning of 2005, Georgian Intelligence State Department was again brought under the Minister of State Security of Georgia.The decision regarding the formation of Foreign Intelligence Special Service of Georgia was made on December 24, 2004 after the Amendments and Additions to the Law of Georgia on Intelligence Activity. On January 24, 2005 Presidential Decree No. 45 on Approval of the Statue of the Foreign Intelligence Special Service of Georgia was issued.

On April 27, 2010 Georgian Parliament adopted the Law of Georgia on Intelligence Activity and the Law on Georgian Intelligence Service. On the basis of these laws, the service was renamed as Georgian Intelligence Service. Since September 20, 2013 Georgian Intelligence Service is a special agency of the executive branch directly subordinated to the Prime Minister of Georgia.