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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Serbia, Bulgaria to sign international police cooperation agreement in May

Belgrade, 26 April 2010

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic and Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Cvetan Cvetanov stated today that it is necessary to work on the further improvement of existing good cooperation between the interior ministries of the two countries.

Cvetan Cvetanov, left, and Ivica Dacic

Speaking at a joint press conference with Cvetanov, Dacic said that the agreement signed today on the establishment of a joint contact centre for police and customs cooperation between Serbia and Bulgaria will serve as a basis for even better cooperation between the two countries.

We are cooperating well in many areas but it is our opinion that this cooperation should be improved even further, above all concerning the fight against organised crime, the counterfeiting of currency and payment cards, drug trafficking, auto theft and smuggling, he said.

A meeting between the criminal and border police teams of Serbia and Bulgaria will be held this week to discuss the exchange of information regarding criminal activity by Serbian or Bulgarian citizens, said the Minister.

Dacic said that an interstate agreement on police cooperation between Serbia and Bulgaria will be signed at the conference of police directors in Bulgaria in May.

It is in Serbia’s interest to have good cooperation with Bulgaria as a neighbouring country and an EU member, he said.

Such cooperation will pave the way for the European Commission's positive assessment of Serbia when it comes to the sectors of the interior and justice ministries.

He expressed the belief that a recent decision by the Serbian government to allow EU citizens transit through Serbia with ID cards only was also assessed positively.

He announced that the government would consider this to be a permanent decision, bearing in mind that Serbia wants to join the Union.

Cvetanov said that Bulgaria will help Serbia to join the Union.

He expressed gratitude to the government of Serbia for support during the recent crisis in air travel caused by the eruption of a volcano in Iceland, because it enabled the citizens of Bulgaria and the EU to pass through its territory with ID cards only.