MILESTONES IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SPECIAL SERVICES OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
9 September 1991 – by Decree of the President of the Republic of Moldova No. 196, the State Security Committee of the Republic of Moldova was dissolved and the Ministry of National Security of the Republic of Moldova was established on its basis.
16 September 1991 – the Government of the Republic of Moldova approved the core responsibilities and structure of the Ministry of National Security. Protection of the state border was one of the Ministry’s principal responsibilities.
6 April 1992 – the Regulation on the Ministry of National Security of the Republic of Moldova was approved.
11 August 1993 – by Decree of the President of the Republic of Moldova No. 125 concerning the Counterintelligence Directorate, the Counterintelligence Directorate was transferred from the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Moldova to the Ministry of National Security and placed directly under the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
31 October 1995 – the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova adopted the laws on state security and on state security bodies, which were promulgated by the President of the Republic of Moldova on 31 January 1997.
9 September 1997 – on the sixth anniversary of the establishment of the Ministry of National Security of the Republic of Moldova, a presidential decree established the professional holiday – the Day of Employees of State Security Bodies.
16 November 1999 – by Law of the Republic of Moldova No. 676-XIV, the Ministry of National Security was reorganized into the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) of the Republic of Moldova, a specialized state body responsible for ensuring state security.
23 December 1999 – the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova adopted Law No. 753-XIV on the Security and Intelligence Service of the Republic of Moldova, establishing the institution’s principal tasks and responsibilities.
18 January 2000 – the Border Troops Department of the Republic of Moldova was removed from the SIS structure and reorganized as a public authority.
10 September 2002 – by Government Decision No. 1192, the National Institute of Intelligence and Security was established within the Service, on the basis of the SIS Training Centre, with the status of a higher education institution.
22 July 2005 – Law No. 177-XVI amending Law No. 753-XIV of 23 December 1999 on the Security and Intelligence Service of the Republic of Moldova revised the Service’s responsibilities and removed its competence to conduct criminal investigations.
13 November 2006 – pursuant to Government Decision No. 1295, the Antiterrorist Centre of the Security and Intelligence Service of the Republic of Moldova was established as the body empowered to direct, coordinate and implement measures to combat terrorism.
19 July 2007 – the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova adopted Law No. 170 on the Status of Intelligence and Security Officers.
10 February 2009 – by Government Decision No. 124, the National Institute of Intelligence and Security was given the name “Bogdan, Founder of Moldova”.
13 February 2010 – pursuant to Government Decision No. 84 on the transfer of a state-owned enterprise, the Special Telecommunications Centre (STC) was transferred from the administration of the Security and Intelligence Service of the Republic of Moldova to the State Chancellery. The STC had been established under the SIS on 11 June 2002 by Government Decision No. 735 on the special telecommunications systems of the Republic of Moldova, for the purpose of protecting information of importance to the state and creating, administering, ensuring the operation of and developing the national special telecommunications systems.
In 2023, the SIS entered a new stage of institutional development with the adoption of the most extensive package of legislative reforms in the field in recent decades. The new legal framework modernized the Service’s activities, strengthening its capacity to respond to current threats and protect the security of the Republic of Moldova. Over its 35 years of institutional existence, the Service has been led by 12 directors, each contributing to the institution’s development in response to the security challenges of the time. The history of the SIS is also the history of the continuous transformation of the mechanisms through which the Republic of Moldova protects its national security.