Four former Yugoslav countries on Saturday signed a joint statement in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, pledging to intensify police cooperation in the fight against organized crime, terrorism and corruption.
Officials from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia were unanimous at the end of the two-day informal regional meeting of ministers of security and interior that it is necessary to adjust their respective national legislation to the European Union's acquis communautaire.
"The ministers agreed that they will try to apply European standards in their national legislation with the aim of improving the efficiency and facilitating their cooperation," Bosnia's Security Minister Tarik Sadovic told the press.
He said that the ministers would implement the signed agreements on police cooperation and conclude new ones, strengthen cooperation in preventing money laundering, in conducting financial investigations as well as in witness protection programs and enhance their cooperation also in the fight against cyber crime.
The joint statement was signed by Sadovic and by the interior ministers, Tomislav Karamarko of Croatia, Jusuf Kalamperovic of Montenegro and Ivica Dacic of Serbia.
The ministers were also unanimous that the recent assassination of controversial Croatian journalist Ivo Pukanic had confirmed that mobsters in the Balkans made up a single network.
One of the characteristics of the Pukanic case is the fact that Croatians, Serbs and Bosnian Muslims were engaged in his assassination, said Karamarko, adding that this means that none of mafia groups or organized crime gangs are limited by state frontiers.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article