On 16 and 17 October, representatives from Western Balkans customs administrations met in Macedonia to discuss the challenges of the region, improving cooperation and tackling common threats.
Joint conclusion of the meeting was that timely and efficient exchange of information at national and regional level would help tackle the shared threats of serious, organised and economic crime. Effective information-handling processes, trust and networking are all needed to counter these threats.
At the start of the meeting, Ambassador Rachel Galloway said:
The increased ability of law enforcement to share information at national and regional level in a timely and efficient manner will help tackle the shared threats of serious, organised and economic crime.
The Western Balkans is a key region for the United Kingdom. We want a stable and prosperous region, which would benefit Europe as a whole. We have a strong commitment to the region and are always happy to support regional initiatives like this one that originate from within the Western Balkans.
The UK is unconditionally committed to European security and the Western Balkans is an integral part of that commitment. On 10 July 2018, the UK hosted the Western Balkans Summit in London which brought together the leaders of the Western Balkans countries and like-minded European partners to strengthen security co-operation, increase economic stability and encourage political co-operation.
Find more information about the UK’s work with the Western Balkans region here
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Source: UK & Macedonia