Prague, Aug 18 (CTK) – Michal Koudelka, new chief of the Czech civilian counter-intelligence service (BIS), plans to focus on anti-terrorism protection, recruit new people, more communicate with the public and cooperate with foreign secret services, he writes in a text released on the BIS website.
“I want to assure the public that under my command, similar to my predecessor Jiri Lang, the BIS will do its utmost to protect the state and its citizens from the danger of terrorist attacks,” Koudelka wrote.
The government’s decision to increase the BIS’s budget will enable to recruit new, promising people and put an emphasis on the extension and strengthening of the intelligence operational teams, Koudelka said.
He points out that in the past, the government approved the BIS’s cooperation with 106 services in 67 countries, while its contacts with some 70 secret services, mainly from NATO and EU member states, are quite frequent.
“Last year, we received more than 8,100 reports from our foreign counterparts and we sent them almost 1500 dispatches and documents in exchange,” Koudelka said.
He also said he considered the BIS’s relations with the public his priority. The discrepancy between the character of the secret service’s work and the public interest must be gradually removed, he added.
“We are paid by tax-payers who have the right to know, at least in general terms and in an comprehensive way, how we work and what results we have achieved. We cannot do without public support in many cases,” Koudelka said.
Besides, the BIS will be active in counter-intelligence work and in the protection of the strategic state economic interests, he added.
“I know it very well that some foreign intelligence services intend to influence our public life and political scene, they want to gain state-of-the-art technologies and results of our scientific research,” he wrote.
Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) installed Koudelka as BIS head on June 15. Koudelka replaced Lang, who asked for dismissal in early June, after 13 years in the post.
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