Today and tomorrow, the Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski participates in the EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum organized by the Slovenian EU Presidency in Brdo near Kranj in the Republic of Slovenia, where during the three working sessions dedicated to migration, the fight against terrorism and dealing with organized crime, presented the strategic goals and activities of our country in the field of security and law enforcement.
The forum aims to stimulate discussion on topics in the areas of home affairs and justice, from Chapters 23 and 24 of the screening for the pre-accession process to EU membership.
During the session on migration, asylum and external borders, Spasovski, as informed by his cabinet, among other things, stressed that despite the further development of the national system for integrated border management in accordance with EU concepts and standards in all forms of border operations, intensive Cooperation with the EU agencies Frontex – EBCGA and Europol, in all operational, practical domains, starting from specific operational action and cooperation, situational awareness, development and research, to training and vocational education.
– The basic precondition for successful addressing of this challenge is the effective international cooperation. More platforms are available that can further enhance co-operation in this area, and the updated EU Action Plan can provide a quality framework for further strengthening the common approach in the fight against migrant smuggling, especially as there is a common interest and capacity for further development of a comprehensive and balanced partnership of mutual benefit, Minister Spasovski said, adding that in the first 9 months of 2021, a total of 16.000 attempts to cross illegally were prevented, which is a decrease of 36,5 percent compared to the same period last year, as well as 35 cases of smuggling of a total of 420 migrants.
In a session dedicated to the fight against terrorism, violent extremism and radicalization, as one of the priority European security issues, Spasovski said in a statement, he stressed the need for readiness and resistance both locally and nationally and internationally for the purpose of which is to create a Joint Action Plan to Combat Terrorism.
– The fight against terrorism is a significant motivation for intensive exchange of important security information with the countries in the region, but also with our strategic partners. In practice, a particularly useful tool proved to be an operational application for secure exchange of information – SIENA, which is fully operational in the unit in the Ministry of Interior responsible for combating terrorism and through which in the past year about 800 messages and requests were exchanged, Spasovski clarified, adding that the amendments to the Law on Criminal Procedure, in relation to complex cases, including those in the field of fight against terrorism, as well as the adoption of the Law on Critical Infrastructure are a response to the recommendations of the Joint Action Plan to Fight Terrorism. .
As part of the working session on tackling organized crime, Spasovski said in a statement that the Government of the Republic of Macedonia, in accordance with the goals and priorities of the National Drug Strategy 2021-2025, will establish an Early Warning System of new psychoactive in 2022. substances, in response to efforts to strengthen and develop adequate approaches to reducing the demand and supply of drugs, as well as the need for enhanced coordination between institutions and improving the reporting system.
– Our goal is to reduce the number of young people who use drugs, increase the coverage of people who use drugs through treatment and care programs, develop programs to reduce the harm of drug use, resocialization, rehabilitation and reintegration, and reduce the number of people generally using drugs, and thus reducing the demand for drugs, said Spasovski, noting at the same time as a priority in the coming period the further development of cooperation, through participation in joint bilateral or multilateral and EMPACT operations in all areas, participation in joint investigation teams, joining new Operational Analysis Projects, continuous exchange of operational and strategic information and use of Europol products.
Source: MIA
