Georgian National Security Council Discusses Security Threats

On December 4th, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili invited the National Security Council (NSC) to discuss the security threats and other important topics related to the country’s security environment.

The Council also discussed the threat assessment document, approved by the government. After the gathering, the Secretary of the NSC Irine Imerlishvili stated that Georgia’s progress toward NATO-integration was one of the key topics of the discussion.

“We discussed the most important issues in terms of the country’s defense. Several military plans were approved. We agreed on a coordinated effort. At the same time, we discussed Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration issues,” - President Margvelashvili stated.

According to the President, the NSC is the most important constitutional body, at which the country’s highest political and military authorities discuss the most relevant issues of defense capabilities.

“We do not know any other constitutional framework in which such decisions are made. Therefore, it is important for us to be united in these meetings and for this united position to strengthen and empower the defense capacity of our country,” the President said.

The Council meeting involved the NSC Secretary, the Parliamentary Speaker, the Defense Minister, the Chief of General Staff, the Interior Minister and other high-level officials from security structures.

The Prime Minister of Georgia, one of the permanent members of the Council, was notably absent from the recent meeting, and not for the first time.

The United National Movement, the main opposition force, suggested the PM has no respect toward the NSC, accusing him of damaging the institution for personal motives. They conclude that the PM has created an identical organ- the Security Crisis and Management Council- under his own leadership, “under no constitutional or realistic need.”

The Parliamentary Speaker, David Usupashvili says the institution should be respected by everyone, whether one has a predilection toward certain personalities or not.

The National Security Council, an advisory body to the President of Georgia, is empowered to consider issues determined by the Organic Law on National Security Council of Georgia to draft the highest political decisions.

According to Paragraph 1 of Article 99 of the Constitution of Georgia, the National Security Council shall be set up to organize the military development and defense of the country.

Steven Jones