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SARAJEVO, March 21 (FENA) – The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement (EUROPOL) and the law enforcement agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina signed today in Sarajevo the Rulebook on the work of the National Contact Point for cooperation with EUROPOL, which represents an important step towards the realization of full cooperation.
Putting the Contact Point into operation will enable direct cooperation between EUROPOL and all BiH police agencies, as well as the deployment of a BiH liaison officer to EUROPOL in The Hague, which will be a big step forward in the fight against organized crime and terrorism, it was highlighted at the signing ceremony today.
Minister of Security of BiH Nenad Nešić, Head of the EU Delegation in BiH and the EU Special Representative in BiH Johann Sattler, Head of Unit Strategy and External Relations in EUROPOL Patrícia Silveira, and the entity and cantonal ministers of interior affairs, directors of law enforcement agencies at the state level and the head of the Brčko District Police attended the signing ceremony.
Nešić stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina, although the only country in the Western Balkans that has not yet established full cooperation with EUROPOL, attaches special importance to international police cooperation through the Joint Contact Point, due to the interest of internal security, and especially that this area has a key role for accession EU.
Sattler expressed his satisfaction that Bosnia and Herzegovina has made a step towards full cooperation with EUROPOL because, as a candidate country for EU membership, it is expected to show credible results in the fight against organized crime and corruption.
“By fully implementing the Agreement on Cooperation with EUROPOL, and later by signing the Agreement on EUROJUST and FRONTEX, Bosnia and Herzegovina will fully begin to use European instruments to strengthen the fight against serious forms of crime, which will be useful for the citizens of BiH, but also to be a step forward on the way to the EU,” said Sattler.
Silveira said that countries must fight together against international criminal threats to achieve a safe society for all our citizens.
She underlined that the joining of forces has become more important than ever and that strengthening cooperation with all countries in the region remains a top priority for EUROPOL.
Today's signing of the ordinance will also enable the exchange of information about criminals through EUROPOL's Secure Information Exchange Network Application (SIENA), including the SIENA counter-terrorism database.
(FENA) A. B.
