Georgian Vice PM urges partner countries to refrain from intelligence activities in Georgia

Georgian vice prime minister and state minister for coordination of law enforcement agencies Mamuka Mdinaradze on Friday warned representatives of foreign intelligence services, including those from partner and allied countries, against conducting activities in Georgia.

In his remarks, Mdinaradze noted that Georgian counterintelligence operations were currently being conducted “with tenfold intensity and scale”.

“Our partners and allies must protect these relations. More than ever, our security services have the power to expose foreign intelligence agencies and their ‘resident’ agents operating in our country. We treat these ties with great care, and we expect them to handle this issue with equal sensitivity”, he said.

Mdinaradze stressed that Georgian counterintelligence services have obtained “significant information” regarding such activities and called on foreign states to withdraw individuals involved in intelligence operations in the country.

“I believe it will be clear to everyone - and they know better than we do -what kind of activities are being carried out toward our country. I would also like to ask those few European countries that are conducting intelligence work in our country with such fervour and intensity: the Georgian special services today possess far more information than they imagine. Counter-intelligence operations are currently being conducted with tenfold intensity and frequency. We have access to a vast amount of information. We ask them to withdraw these individuals and remove them from the activities they are performing; otherwise - and I am certainly not threatening - I can boldly say that we will continue to make certain indications regarding this. I believe what we have already done should be sufficient. Fortunately, today more than ever, our country has the power to say this, thanks to the correct and strong work of the relevant agencies and law enforcement officers”, the minister concluded.