Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser continues talks on the Western Balkans

type:
News

, Topic:
Security

, Date:
17 September 2024

Cooperation will be strengthened between the EU, the United Kingdom and the Western Balkan countries.

Source:
Henning Schacht

Ten years ago, Germany initiated the Berlin Process to strengthen regional cooperation between the EU and the Western Balkan countries. Today, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser will host a meeting at the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community with her counterparts from the Western Balkan countries as well as high-ranking representatives of the governments of Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and the United Kingdom.

This year’s meeting will focus on combating irregular migration, trafficking in human beings, illegal human smuggling and organised crime. Federal Minister Faeser stressed the importance of this conference and of the cooperation with the Western Balkan countries: “This is especially true with regard to the key issues of reducing irregular migration and combating organised crime. We will take even stronger action together,” Federal Minister Faeser said.

quote:

“For many issues, we must present a united European front and take joint action!”

Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser on the talks with the Western Balkan countries

Plans for close cooperation in the field of border management

Topics will include joint police centres and patrols as well as bilateral and multilateral measures in the field of border management. Discussions will focus on how to improve data exchange and make use of Frontex’s experience. The participants will also discuss ways to extend to the Western Balkan countries police instruments that have already proved very successful at the EU’s internal borders.

A more comprehensive approach to tackling organised crime

In terms of the fight against organised crime, the participants will discuss taking an even more administrative approach that incorporates the financial and social authorities more closely in cross-border cooperation and information exchange, in addition to the law enforcement authorities involved thus far. This will make it possible to trace flows of funds and combat money laundering in order to deprive criminal organisations of their financial foundation. The main aim is to tackle human smuggling, drug trafficking and trafficking in human beings.