Gaspar: Slovakia in Difficult Times, Facing Serious Security Threats

Bratislava, 19 October (TASR) - Slovakia finds itself in difficult times, facing serious security threats which are unprecedented and which it hasn't met in the era of its independence, director of the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) Pavol Gaspar said in the new SIS Development Strategy for 2025-2032. It is a long-term vision of how the intelligence service should progress and in which areas its development is crucial. "Aware of the seriousness of security threats and the need to set up a more efficient functioning of SIS so that it can carry out its mission regardless of the political power in the country, given its apolitical nature, I'm submitting this strategy of the Slovak Intelligence Service for the next seven years," stated Gaspar. The SIS head considers development in new, modern technological areas with an emphasis on cyberspace to be one of its priorities. Gaspar pointed out that the adversary's frontiers of operation have moved into virtual space thanks to new information technologies. The strategy defines short-, medium- and long-term objectives with regard to the development of personnel policy, internal and technical intelligence, foreign intelligence cooperation and the improvement of material and technical support. "In order to achieve the set objectives and to perform the SIS tasks efficiently, it is necessary to adapt to the new environment, to make use of quality human capital, to invest in equipment, education and training of officers. I consider development in the field of IT technologies and the use of artificial intelligence with an emphasis on cyberspace to be one of the priorities," noted Gaspar. am