Serbia, Belgium agree on police cooperation in fighting terrorism, organized crime

Serbia and Belgium signed an agreement here on Tuesday that defines their cooperation in tackling terrorist threats and exchanging information on organized crime.

The Agreement on Police Cooperation between Serbia and Belgium was signed here at the Palace of Serbia after a meeting between Belgian interior minister Jan Jambon and his Serbian counterpart Nebojsa Stefanovic.

The agreement foresees a joint fight of Serbia and Belgium against organized crime, smuggling of illegal substances and people as well as countering international terrorism, Stefanovic told a press conference after the meeting.

He said that the cooperation will increase the operative capability of Serbian police through education of officers, as well as exchange of information.

He informed the public about his request to Jambon that Belgian police send experienced officers to educate Serbian colleagues in countering terrorism, "which would improve security not only security between the two countries, but also at a European level."

"By signing this agreement we opened the possibility for the widest cooperation against all types of organized crime between the two countries as well as to achieve better interconnection with European Union in this area," Stefanovic said.

Jambon stressed the importance of having established a direct source of information between the two countries and the importance of it for the security of both countries, explaining that organized crime all over Europe has links that lead to Serbia and the region.

He said that Serbia plays an important role in the migrant crisis and that one of the impacts of the new agreement will be to help Serbia to prevent foreign fighters in Syria from coming into Europe through the migrant route.

source: Xinhua