Bilateral meeting between the Minister of Internal Affairs, Cătălin Predoiu, and his Albanian counterpart, Taulant Balla, during the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs – strengthening cooperation in combating drug trafficking and illegal migration
Within the high-level segment of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), organized between the 14th and 15th of March 2024 in Vienna, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Cătălin Predoiu, had a bilateral meeting with his Albanian counterpart, Mr. Taulant Balla.
During the debates, the two officials highlighted the need to strengthen relations between the EU and the Western Balkan states, in order to effectively respond to security challenges in the region, including drug trafficking and illegal migration.
Common interest was expressed in establishing the best ways to cooperate, in order to detect and annihilate organized criminal groups that facilitate illegal migration on the Western Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean route.
Minister Predoiu appreciated the involvement of the Albanian government in the fight against drug trafficking and, considering the cross-border nature of this crime, agreed with Minister Balla on strengthening regional cooperation, by intensifying the exchange of data and operative information.
„We agreed with the Albanian Minister of the Interior to expand the collaboration between our ministries to combat organized crime groups operating in Albania and Romania. The national police chiefs will meet to organize the technical aspects of this collaboration. Combating organized crime, drug and human trafficking, illegal migration are common priorities and we will collaborate through information exchange, mixed teams and joint police actions to combat this phenomenon,” said Cătălin Predoiu at the end of the meeting.
Also, the Romanian dignitary conveyed to his counterpart Romania’s support for the European path of the partner state and the availability of support at the level of internal affairs.
