Wednesday, February 12 this year, the enlarged meeting of the Board of the Security and Intelligence Service of the Republic of Moldova took place. During the meeting, the results of the activity of the institution in 2019 were discussed and the priority objectives for 2020 were set.
The meeting was chaired by Alexandr ESAULENCO, Director of the SIS. It was also attended by Igor DODON - President of the Republic of Moldova, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Alexandru JIZDAN - President of the Parliamentary Commission for national security, defense and public order, Nicolae POSTURUSU - Secretary General of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Moldova, as well as Andrei ONOFREI - Chief of Service of the Supreme Security Council of the Republic of Moldova.
The speech of the SIS Director, Alexandr ESAULENCO, began with the listing of the main internal and external risk factors for the national security, which were outlined during the evaluated period but also he listed the SIS actions oriented towards their annihilation, both in terms of intelligence and counterintelligence .
In addition, a statistical retrospective of the institution’s results, registered in 2019, was presented, which served as the basis for initiation of a series of measures by authorities competent in prevention and counteraction of negative manifestations with potential to undermine sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova.
In particular, the SIS director focused on the operational aspects carried out by the SIS during the reference period, namely - the intelligence regarding position of the main geostrategic actors in relation to the regional context, as well as intelligence concerning the Republic of Moldova.
Also, the counterintelligence activity was evaluated, which constituted the central pillar of the investigations carried out in 2019. It was focused on elucidation of the existing social, economic, political, military, cyber, infrastructure and human vulnerabilities, which could be exploited by the opponents.
At the same time, regional threats were noted, which, considering the position of the Republic of Moldova, have direct consequences. In this context, cross-border dangers, information wars, extremist-terrorist scourge and hybrid manifestations were highlighted.
In conclusion, the Director Alexandr ESAULENCO mentioned the proactive involvement of the SIS, both in terms of prevention and counteraction, namely, the prompt information of the decision-makers, the continuous exchange of information with external partners, conduct of special investigation measures jointly with law enforcement bodies, as well as promotion of security culture in the society, through multiple activities started under the aegis of the SIS.
Igor DODON, President of the Republic of Moldova, stated that 2019 was a very difficult year and full of challenges. He mentioned the active involvement of the SIS in risk prevention, in the fight against subversive threats and aspirations, generated by internal and external extremist forces. He also reiterated the need to use all the legal levers to counteract the actions that limit the efficiency and functionality of the state bodies. In this context, the Head of State also pointed out some priorities for this year, which lead to ensuring the stability and continuity of reforms in the society, focusing on new risks and threats to the Republic of Moldova. "I encourage you to remain equidistant, far from political battles, to demonstrate professionalism, to promote democratic values and to act only in the interests of ensuring national security and citizens of the Republic of Moldova," concluded the President of the Republic of Moldova.
At the end of the meeting, the Director of the Security and Intelligence Service listed the institutional priorities set for 2020, which stem from the assessment of the regional situation but also from the possible unpredictability that could influence the internal processes, as well as further implementation of competence measures aimed to guarantee a national security climate.
As a priority, the actions will be oriented towards the annihilation of the intelligence and subversive manifestations, in order to not admit the interferences that may influence the processes of the sectors of national importance, to elucidate risk factors with the destabilizing potential that are included in the tactics of the “hybrid war”, to manage security risks revealed in the current year and external threats with consequences for the national security climate.
12.02.2020
