Romanian president: SRI and SIE cannot be politically influenced, in contrast to department intelligence services

President Traian Basescu has suggested that intelligence services structures assigned to departments can be influenced by the political environment, as opposed to SRI (Romanian Intelligence Services) and SIE (Foreign Intelligence Services). „I’m convinced that nobody can politically influence SRI and SIE anymore. But I’m not saying this about the department services. I’m talking about the two big services controlled but the CSAT (the Country’s Supreme Defence Council)”, the President underlined.

The chief of the Romanian state has launched a new appeal to the Parliament to approve the national security laws, which have been for four years with the legislative forum: „The legislation does not correspond to the services’ missions anymore”, following Romania’s joining NATO and the EU and the new threats and developments related to the American missile shield.

„Threats have multiplied and the services’ means of action need to be related to the new reality. I appeal to the Parliament, which has been holding the projects for the new legislation for four years, to speed up the approval process”, Traian Basescu said.

Two thirds of the SRI staff was under 18 when the revolution happened

Two thirds of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) was underage when the Revolution in December 1989 took place in Romania, SRI Manager George Cristian Maior declared on Wednesday, March 24, at the 2009 annual SRI activity report.

„Handing the archive of the ex-Intelligence has marked the complete and irreversible break from the past. This was the moment when we gave back the society a part of its history”, he added.

Romanian President Traian Basescu took part at the Annual SRI activity meeting. SRI will celebrate 20 years on Friday, March 26.