Foreign intelligence services actively sought ties with Georgian political forces to advance their national interests in 2024, says State Security Service

The Georgian State Security Service on Tuesday said foreign intelligence agencies had actively sought to establish contacts with Georgian political groups and leaders throughout 2024 to promote their respective national interests.

The annual report of the Service detailed that foreign services tried to engage Georgian citizens in discussions on issues of interest and sought to recruit them, stressing that in some cases, intelligence operatives allegedly employed technical measures to obtain sensitive information.

The Security Service further noted that individual representatives of Georgian media were also found to have ties with foreign officials and, reportedly, with intelligence agents, adding that these individuals were allegedly receiving financial support and instructions while providing information on targeted topics.

“During the reporting period, foreign intelligence services were found to be attempting to use visiting individuals to carry out specific tasks in Georgia. Suspicious activities by foreign nationals on Georgian territory included identifying GPS coordinates and recording photo and video footage using drones. For some individuals in this category, legal measures were applied, including the activation of border control mechanisms”, the report noted.