In the framework of the Ministerial Forum on Justice and Home Affairs EU-Western Balkans in Ohrid, Minister of Interior Gordana Jankuloska and Europol director Robert Wainwright referred Tuesday to putting into operation of the information exchange agreement on all levels.

Minister Jankuloska said after the meeting that Macedonia and Croatia are the only regional countries having such an agreement with Europol.

"We expect the start of the operational cooperation with Europol immediately after the agreement's ratification by the Macedonian Parliament, meaning exchange of all types of data, including personal information", stressed Jankuloska.

According to her, the document's importance is even bigger since Europol brings together countries from all continents, having the largest database with regards to investigation of international crime.

"We will develop an action plan even before the agreement's ratification. This treaty is an enormous recognition for the Republic of Macedonia, confirming the country's meeting of EU standards. Europol sees the MoI as a relying partner even for the most complex police operations", she said.

Pertaining to the Ohrid forum, Jankuloska emphasized the event only reconfirmed that all open issues and problems in Europe and the region must be settled through discussion.

"The forum represented an exceptional opportunity for debate on key issues in the focus of Europe and the region's interest, especially discussions over the combat against organized crime and corruption, with emphasis on illicit human trafficking. We also tackled the problems that have emerged following the introduction of the visa-free regime and the ways for their overcoming, since the visa liberalization represents a benefit for all citizens. Therefore, we should not allow a limited number of people, who abuse the visa-free regime, to bring it into question", underlined Minister of Interior Gordana Jankuloska.