EUROPOL Director and Mektić with Vilić: Agreement will enable better international cooperation

Director of the European Police Office Rob Wainwright and BiH Minister of Security Dragan Mektić visited the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH today, where they met with the Director of the Directorate Mirsad Vilić and his deputy Milo Jurić, the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies announced, reports the Patria News Agency.  

Today's visit was organized on the occasion of the signing of the Agreement on Operational and Strategic Cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and EUROPOL.

Vilić thanked them for the visit and presented the Directorate's legal responsibilities and scope of work to the guests, emphasizing the international operational police cooperation that takes place through the Directorate.

He specifically highlighted the cooperation so far, which has been carried out through the Department for Cooperation with EUROPOL, and which relates to the daily exchange of information between police agencies in BiH and EUROPOL member states.

Vilić stated that today's signing of the Agreement will enable more effective cooperation with EUROPOL member states in combating international organized crime, especially terrorism, illicit drug trafficking, human trafficking, cybercrime, and other forms of crime within Europol's jurisdiction.

Police agencies in BiH will now be able to exchange not only strategic but also operational data, including personal data, with the police forces of EUROPOL member countries.

The guests also visited the official premises of the Sector for International Operational Police Cooperation, which includes the Department for Cooperation with EUROPOL, where the secure data exchange application SIENA is installed, the statement reads.