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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia, Belgium to sign police cooperation agreement

Belgrade, 6 December 2005

Serbian Minister of Interior Dragan Jocic announced today after a meeting with his Belgian counterpart Patrick Dewael that the police of Serbia and Belgium will soon sign an agreement on cooperation, in which the methods for fighting against organised crime, drugs and human trafficking will be specified.

Patrick Dewael, left, and Dragan Jocic

Author: Fonet

Jocic told a press conference after the meeting with Dewael that there is a possibility that Belgium will simplify its visa regime for certain categories of Serbian citizens.

He said that the issue of the increased number of asylum seekers and readmission between Belgium and Serbia was discussed, as well as the problem of illegal migration and ways of preventing it.

During the meeting, the two officials agreed that it is necessary to establish closer cooperation between the police of the two countries.

Dewael, who is also the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister, said that the aim of his visit to Serbia is the improvement of cooperation with the police in Serbia in order to make the fight against organised crime more successful, as well as the fight against illegal migration.

As for illegal migration, he said that it is very important that people in Serbia have the right information concerning the very strict measures Belgium requires of asylum seekers. He said that the procedures in Belgium are much quicker and that its government no longer gives financial aid to asylum seekers.

''Our procedure for returning people to their home countries has become quicker and more efficient. In that sense, I would point to excellent cooperation we established with Serbia," Dewael said and added that police in Belgium are already cooperating with the Serbian Ministry of Interior in the joint fight against all forms of crime.

For now, this cooperation is based on practical mechanisms, but it is important to develop better bilateral cooperation, which should be provided with legal basis.

The Belgian Minister of Interior said that he talked with Jocic about improvement of cooperation in practical fields, more intensive cooperation in the exchange of information, especially when it comes to criminal groups moving from one country to another, the fight against trafficking in drugs and humans, and the exchange of data.

Dewael added that during today's talks, a possibility of establishing "liaison officers" was discussed, so that the exchange of information would proceed in a quicker and more direct way.