Lukašenka set to give Security Council’s state secretary more influence over KGB
Alaksandar Valfovič
July 23, Pozirk. Alaksandar Lukašenka told his officials on July 23 that he plans to give a bigger role to the state secretary of the Security Council, including stronger influence over the Committee for State Security (KGB).
“We are reformatting the Committee for State Security by strengthening the Security Council secretariat and its impact, its influence on the KGB,” Lukašenka said in a video posted by Pul Pervogo, a Telegram channel linked to his press office.
According to Lukašenka, the current State Secretary of the Security Council, Alaksandar Valfovič, “a military man,” is closely involved with the Armed Forces, a little less involved but still comfortable with the interior ministry but distant from the KGB, “a kind of terra incognita.” He warned that the secretariat of the Security Council “must not lose sight” of this agency.
“I want you to understand that the role of the state secretary and the secretariat will be strengthened,” Lukašenka said. “Of course, there are details and nuances – the KGB chief knows them – that are reported only to the president. Foreign intelligence, agent networks, resident networks and so on, but only the president should know this, this should not be spread around and leaked.”
At the same time, Lukašenka said, the Security Council should oversee all law-enforcement and state security agencies and report to the “highest leadership,” just like the Council of Ministers oversees government ministries.
“This does not mean that I will not have direct relations with the defense minister, let alone with the KGB chief, who is directly subordinate to the president,” Lukašenka said. “There are direct relations — I monitor this closely, because military people in uniform are very proud, and this is the president’s area of responsibility.”
Lukašenka described the Security Council’s state secretary as “the president’s aide on these issues” and reiterated that he would be given greater weight, “without any excesses.”
Valfovič is frequently mentioned as a possible successor to Lukašenka. At a high-profile Independence Day ceremony on July 3, Volfovič delivered a speech instead of Lukašenka, who was unexpectedly absent.
Belarus’ Security Council is an inter-agency advisory body whose declared mission is to devise coordinated measures to maintain national security. Alaksandar Lukašenka heads the agency and appoints its members, while the secretariat performs its everyday functions.
