Working visit of INTERPOL delegation from Saudi Arabia to the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH

SARAJevo, (Patria) - Director of the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH Mirsad Vilić received a delegation from Saudi Arabia for a working visit, which stayed at this agency for the past three days.

The visit was realized after the NCB INTERPOL Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, previously addressed the General Secretariat of INTERPOL in Lyon to organize a study visit to an active INTERPOL member state that has successfully integrated INTERPOL tools, services, and solutions for the exchange of experiences and best practices.

Given the outstanding results and achievements of our country in this regard, i.e., the fact that our country is among the top 20 for consulting INTERPOL databases in the world and that our country has actually implemented a whole range of INTERPOL police capacities in recent years, the idea of NCB INTERPOL Sarajevo as a potential host for the Saudi Arabian delegation emerged, which was ultimately realized.

The Saudi Arabian delegation was led by the Head of NCB Riyadh, Colonel Abdulmlk Ibrahim ALSOGIAH, and included 11 members, including the representative of the General Secretariat of INTERPOL, Badreddine Touihri.

Director Vilić welcomed the guests and presented the responsibilities and current activities of the Directorate, emphasizing the importance of communication, coordination, and cooperation at the international level. He specifically touched upon the good relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Saudi Arabia.

During the first day of the visit at the headquarters of the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH, the guests were presented with the structure and responsibilities of police bodies in BiH, the way NCB Sarajevo operates, the use of INTERPOL services and tools, the coordination of operational activities in the field, the connection of competent authorities in BiH to the INTERPOL system, and similar topics. For the next two days, visits to the headquarters of the BiH Border Police, Sarajevo Airport Border Crossing, and Bijača Border Crossing were organized for the delegation members.

The visit concluded today with a tour of the premises of the Sector for International Police Cooperation and a discussion with the officials of NCB Sarajevo. Such an exchange of experiences will likely bring benefits not only to Saudi Arabia but perhaps also to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Likewise, this form of cooperation demonstrates to the international police community all the advantages they can gain by using INTERPOL's products, tools, and services, and it also promotes the work of law enforcement agencies from Bosnia and Herzegovina.