EC signs agreements with Albania, N Macedonia on counter-terrorism plan for Western Balkans
European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos was to sign on October 9 two arrangements with Albania and North Macedonia, implementing the Joint Action Plan on Counter-Terrorism for the Western Balkans, the European Commission said.
The arrangements will identify concrete priority actions for each Western Balkan partner in the area of counter-terrorism cooperation for 2019 and 2020 as well as support from the European Union.
Both Albania and North Macedonia will report on a regular basis on the implementation of the arrangements, the Commission said.
The arrangements to implement the Joint Action Plans on Counter-Terrorism with the other Western Balkan partners are also under preparation and expected to be signed soon.
The wider Joint Action Plan for Western Balkans, signed in October 2018, provides an overarching framework for action on counter-terrorism and the prevention and countering of violent extremism in the Western Balkans region.
This strengthened engagement on security is one of the six flagship initiatives in the Commission’s Strategy for the Western Balkans and answers the call of the Sofia Declaration of May 2018 for increased co-operation on countering terrorism and extremism, the Commission said.
(Photo: Sébastien Bertrand)