Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree to set a Committee for the Intelligence Issues under the President of Ukraine, and appointed his adviser Ihor Smeshko to chair the committee.
The relative decree was signed on Oct. 7 and posted on president’s Web site the day after.
According to the order, the aim of the aforementioned committee is to prepare for the head of state proposals how to govern, coordinate and control the work of intelligence agencies of Ukraine.
The committee will consist of chairman, two deputy chairmen, and other members of the committee, who will help do their job on a public basis.
A personal staff of the committee will be approved by the president under request of the committee’s head.
The committee is a structural subdivision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine personnel, which is responsible for the work of the committee’s staff.
As reported, on Oct. 8, President of Ukraine appointed Ihor Smeshko as his adviser.
Smeshko also was adviser of former acting president of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov.
In 1997-2000, Smeshko served as chief of the Main Intelligence Department at the Defense Ministry.
From November 2002 to June 2003, he worked as deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council; and from June to September 2003 he was first deputy head of the National Security and Defense Council.
Smeshko headed the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) from September 2003 to February 2005.
Since 2006, he was President of the Centre for Strategic Research and Analysis. From July 2009, he led All-Ukrainian public organization ‘Syla i Chest’ (Power and Honour).
