At yesterday’s session, the government determined a new text of the Draft Law on the National Security Agency, which will enable the reform of the Administration for Security and Counter-Intelligence (ASC). Under the new law, ASC (in Macedonian: Управа за безбедност и контраразузнавање – УБК) will no longer be part of the Ministry of Interior, but will become totally independent body under the name National Security Agency.
“The aim of the proposed law is to overcome shortcomings identified in the reports for the Republic of North Macedonia by the European Commission by establishing a model for reform of the security-intelligence system by which the Security and Counter-Intelligence Directorate will no longer be a body within the Ministry of Interior, but to establish an Agency for National Security in order to protect the national security of the country, i.e. independence, sovereignty, constitutional order, basic freedoms and human rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia, as well as other issues of interest to the national security of the country”, the government said.
Ministers at the session also established a new text of the Draft Law on Coordination of the Security and Intelligence Community in the Republic of North Macedonia, which provides for a special body for the coordination of the security and intelligence community.
The Government also established a Draft-Law on Amending the Law on the Interception of Communications, as well as a Draft-Law on Amending the Law on Internal Affairs, in order to synchronize the draft laws on the National Security Agency and the Draft Law on Co-ordination of the Security and Intelligence Community.
