Slovenian and Albanian Ministers of the Interior agree on closer police cooperation

The Ministers started the meeting by acknowledging the friendly relations between Slovenia and Albania and the good cooperation between the ministries and the police forces of both countries. Slovenia supports a strong European perspective for the Western Balkan countries, closer cooperation among the police forces of the Western Balkan countries in countering organised crime and terrorism as well as the transfer of EU security standards to the Western Balkans. The Ministers agreed to strengthen the police cooperation by appointing a Slovenian police attaché in Albania and by extending and updating the existing Agreement on police cooperation in the field of organised crime and terrorism to meet the modern security standards.

They concurred that beside the operational cooperation, different projects, study visits, workshops and other forms of joint trainings also represent a good way of exchanging knowledge and experience. Close cooperation and information sharing are vital for success in tackling security challenges. Ongoing police cooperation is already established through the National Central Bureaus of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and the National Contact Points at the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). "We would also like for cooperation to be established through direct exchange of operational findings, which would improve the efficiency of organised crime investigations, particularly migrant smuggling. We also wish to strengthen cooperation regarding the exchange of information on the travel of sports teams and fans to international sporting events and on the drivers involved in speeding offences," Minister Poklukar said.

The Western Balkans region and the European Union (EU) have both been facing a number of challenges in the areas of security and migration. "We know that we can only be successful by finding solutions together through constructive cooperation and a united approach, and Slovenia is doing its utmost to integrate the partners from the Western Balkans," Minister Poklukar stressed. Both Ministers agreed that smuggling networks in the region are highly adaptable and that operational activities along the Western Balkans migration route should be strengthened. "In addition to the new agreement between the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and Serbia, the status agreement between Frontex and Bosnia and Herzegovina will also make an important contribution to this, and I have used several occasions to call for its timely conclusion," Poklukar said, adding that two Slovenian police officers are currently part of Frontex's operational activities in Albania.

Slovenian and Albanian Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar and Taulant Balla | Author Ministrstvo za notranje zadeve Albanije