EC ready to support Balkan against terrorism
17/06/2015 00:00
The Washington Agreement Must Be Reactivated! 06/01 19:04
The EU coordinator against terrorism, Gilles de Kerchove, is expected to
visit Tirana this October. In an interview for Top Channel he explains
that the Commission is ready to contribute financially in some areas, in
order to prevent the expansion of foreign fighters in Balkan, including
Albania.
Same as during the special session of the Foreign Committee of the European Parliament, the 58-year-old Belgian avoided comparisons between countries of the region, due to insufficient information.
Gilles de Kerchove, Anti-Terrorism Coordinator in the EU: I am not an expert on Albania. This would have more interest to be discussed later. But Western Balkan is a region where we are ready to invest more and to work closely, because the Balkan countries are also facing the “foreign fighter” issue. I don’t remember how many Albanian citizens have gone to Syria or Iraq, but I know there are a lot of them. I know that Albnia passed a legislation recently that considers a crime leaving the country to fight in other countries. They may need mre help for preventing it, for how they are received in other Western countries. They may need more help for how the data is collected, distributed and analyzed, and how a returning terrorist fighter is treated. We have started a dialogue with Westen Balkan countries and we organized the Conference of Slovenia with a work group. The Commission remains committed to give financial support to improve the issues that I mentioned, including Albania.
TCH: Are Albanians more problematic than other neighboring countries?
Gilles de Kerchove: As I said, it is still early for me to give any opinion on Albania. But I know there is interest. Is better or worse? I don’t know, I cannot start this adventure.
TCH: You will visit Albania before or after the summer holidays?
Gilles de Kerchove: I will visit it after the holidays, in October. Then I would be happy to answer to your questions.
During the hearing session at the Foreign Committee they spoke about 600 Albanian terrorists from the region, but the former Director for Internal Issues and Justice at the EU Council says that this number is for Balkan in general. He said that he was surprised by the good data exchange between Bosnia, Kosovo and Serbia, countries visited from him.
Gilles de Kerchove reported in front of the of the EU Ministers in Luxembourg for the implementation of the measures against terrorism.
Prepared by: Arta TOZAJ
Top Channel
