Around a hundred of high officials from the countries of the region and international organizations involved in the coordination of anti-terrorist activities are taking part in a two-day workshop on national coordination and regional cooperation in fight against terrorism in South-East Europe which started yesterday.

Hosts of the workshop are Ministry ofSecurity of BiH and Secretariat of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), and in the next two days participants of the workshop will exchange experiences and challenges in coordination of national efforts in fight against terrorism, as well as in cooperation with national, regional and international bodies.

Minister of Security of BiH Sadik Ahmetovic emphasized in his introductory address that without a doubt these are the current topics in the area of South-East Europe as well, and therefore significant for the security of BiH.

”That can be seen from the series of the latest events which point to the fact that security is still threatened, and the fact that an entire region is on a good way of making the system which will enable achieving the complete stability and security”, he said.

Minister Ahmetovic stated that in an entire Europe, and in its southeastern part as well, relatively new form of terrorism is developing, so called “local terrorism”, which is based on a unique terrorist ideology, whereas the modalities and aims of action vary from country to country.

”We are aware that system of fight against terrorism needs to be improved constantly, coordinate it with the global international standards, follow dynamic changes and trends, and at the same time not threaten the achieved high standards of human rights and freedoms. Result of all security reforms should be an efficient integral system capable of successfully reacting to all security threats”, Minister of Security of BiH said.

Stating he is convinced that this workshop is a start of a process, Secretary General of RCC Hido Biscevic emphasized that from a regional point of view we are witnesses of continuous positive development.

”Adopting the Convention on police cooperation introduced modern means of cooperation among signatories, including cross border scouting, secret investigations, exchange and comparison of DNA profile, joint research teams, mixed patrols on state borders, etc.”, Biscevic said.

”Strategy and the Work program of RCC for the period of 2011-2013, adopted by chiefs of states and governments of the participant countries of the Process of cooperation in South-East Europe in Istanbul in June 2010, emphasized fight against organized crime as the essential regional priority in the field of justice and interior, especially emphasizing the regional dimension of fight against terrorism as well as preventing the financing of terrorism”, Secretary General of RCC stated.