Japan’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA) will begin operations on July 31. Its first director will be 59-year-old Kazuya Hara, who currently heads the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, the existing government intelligence service, Kyodo reports.

At the same time, the first meeting of the National Intelligence Council will be held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The council will include key cabinet ministers, including the heads of the foreign ministry, defense ministry, justice ministry, and finance ministry.

The new agency will be established on the basis of the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office and will retain its initial staff of 730 employees. The NIA will analyze intelligence, coordinate the work of existing intelligence and counterintelligence units, and cooperate with foreign partners, including the U.S. CIA.

This will be the first centralized intelligence structure in Japan’s history. The government also plans to develop counterintelligence legislation and legislation on the possible introduction of foreign agent status.