he Cooperation Agreement between the State Security Committee of Belarus and the State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia entered into force.
The agreement was signed on August 25, 2016. From the Georgian side, the document was signed by the then Head of the SSS, and now the Minister of Interior, Vakhtang Gomelauri. After 5 years of procedural clarifications, on August 1, 2021, the agreement entered into force. The document was officially published on August 13.
The Agreement covers wide array of issues pertaining to security, intelligence and counterintelligence.
It provides for the regular exchange of information on state security issues, operative, technical and other types of cooperation in fighting the crimes against the constitutional order, sovereignty and territorial integrity, corruption, transnational organized crime, terrorism, cyber terrorism, and illegal circulation of weapons, WMD, crimes against state secrets, other types of transnational and international crimes. The sides agreed on exchange of information containing up-to-date personal data.
The deal foresees joint conduct of special operations, meetings of the heads of secret services and experts, study courses, conferences, joint programs, technical assistance, etc.
The joint security accord comes against the background of expanding sanctions of the major strategic partner of Georgia, the US against Belarusian officials, businessmen, state companies and institutions, including the KGB of Belarus. On August 9, the US Treasury authorized new wave of sanctions, involving 23 individuals and 21 entities, holding the Belarusian regime accountable on anniversary of fraudulent presidential election.
Franak Viačorka, the Senior Adviser to Belarusian exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya and Lukashenko’s key challenger in 2020 presidential elections, called the deal 'shameful' expressing hope Georgia will not push extraditions.
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