Busek: Stability Pact at Forefront in Fight Against Terrorism

Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact for S.E. Europe Erhard Busek informed an OSCE meeting in Vienna that the Pact - through its Working Table on Security Issues - has been extremely active in fostering and coordinating international action on combating terrorism in the region. He also said that it has been vital in facing up organized crime, illicit trafficking in human beings and small arms and light weapons in the area. The Working Table of the Pact has also been active in developing a regional approach to capacity building in the area for an adequate training of national police forces.

Busek highlighted the recently established Clearinghouse on Small Arms and Light Weapons known by its acronym, SEESAC, located in Belgrade, and other schemes of the Pact as been prime examples in this field. Also, the work being done by the Pact-affiliated Regional Crime Centre for Combating Transnational Organized Crime, based in Bucharest, has assisted in the investigation and prosecution of several criminal elements operating in the wider S.E. Europe. The Regional Crime Centre will be hosting soon (next month) an extended workshop for South Eastern European police and legal officials on developing a more coordinated response to the threats of terrorists and terrorism.

The Stability Pact is currently working with the NATO Secretariat, the European Commission and Council, and with the OSCE Secretariat and its Conflict Prevention Centre in developing a more comprehensive approach to border security and management issues.

All this is to say, Busek concluded, that the Stability Pact, is fully committed and active in this area, and can fairly be judged one of the leading actors in the field.

All Press, Athens, especially for PRAVDA.Ru

In the photo: Erhard Busek

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