“Crime and terrorism know no borders, so neither should our approach to fighting them,” Minister for Home Affairs and National Security Carmelo Abela, told the First Euromed Police High Level Meeting in Valletta.
He also added that closer collaboration between Euro-Mediterranean countries to ensure better governance on the political, strategic and technical levels in respect of cross-border cooperation on security is worth all the effort.
The Euromed Police IV project, funded by the European Union, commenced in February 2016 for a period of four years. Its overall objective is to increase citizen security across the Euro-Mediterranean area through the strengthening of cooperation on security issues between the Southern Mediterranean partner countries, as well as between these countries and the Member States of the European Union. The partner countries of the project are Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, and Tunisia.
The two day-meeting was held in Valletta on the 21-22 February 2017 to discuss and endorse the ‘Euromed Cooperation Priorities to Increase Citizen Security’, which will in turn form the basis of actions to be implemented throughout the Euromed Police IV. Participating in the meeting were experts from EU Member States and Southern Mediterranean partner countries, as well as from Euromed Police partner institutions, notably Europol, Cepol, and Interpol, which provide essential support and advice to the project.
The event is being organised by the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ), which is based in Malta and provides rule of law-based training to lawmakers, police, prosecutors, judges, corrections officials, and other justice sector stakeholders on how to address terrorism and related transnational criminal activities within a rule of law framework.
Minister Abela noted that, considering the geographical focus of the Euromed Police IV project, seeking to facilitate a common understanding on the threats affecting citizens’ security on both shores of the Mediterranean, the choice of location for the meeting is highly symbolical. It is also of special significance that it is being held in Malta during its Presidency of the Council of the EU, he said, pointing out that the priorities identified by the Euromed Police IV – countering terrorism; criminal analysis; irregular migration supported by criminal networks and trafficking of human beings; cybercrime; and cyber terrorism, including the use of social media for incitement and recruitment purposes – are very much in sync with the Maltese Presidency’s priorities vis-à-vis security.
The Minister expressed his confidence that the Valletta high-level meeting will set the Euromed Police IV project well on its way in order to contribute effectively towards increased security across the Euro-Mediterranean area.
Source of article Independent
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