The implementation of the Police Cooperation Convention for South East Europe has contributed to the promotion of the regional fight against crime and enforcement of laws, Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic stated Thursday.

The Convention was the turning point for police cooperation in the Western Balkans and the South East Europe, Dacic pointed out in a statement after the session of the Committee of Ministers of the Convention member states, held in the Bulgarian town of Pravec within the Salzburg Forum.

He stressed that Serbia is giving a maximum contribution to the improvement of regional police cooperation, which compared to the political cooperation of regional countries, is at a much higher level.

Dacic reiterated that Serbia was one of the first countries to join the Convention, which was ratified by the Serbian parliament, adding that Serbia has its representative within the Secretariat of the Committee of Ministers seated in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Dacic said that the Committee session focused on the 2012 work plan and expansion of cooperation between interior ministries, as well as the possibility of forning joint contact centers of police and customs services of the regional countries.

Requirements and legal conditions have been met for Albania and Macedonia to take part in the exchange of data within the regional police cooperation, he said.

Dacic added that Austria for the first time took part in the work of the committee as a full fledged member of the Convention.

"We may as well say that this is one of the most significant agreements that was a turning point of regional cooperation in the fight against crime, and enforcement of laws in the Western Balkans and South East Europe," Dacic underlined.