First Heads of INTERPOL of ECO Member States meeting endorses world police body’s vision for increased direct law enforcement support

6 juillet 2010

TEHRAN, Iran – Delegates at the first heads of INTERPOL of Economic Co-operation Organization (ECO) member countries meeting gave their overwhelming support for two key INTERPOL initiatives to better support global police co-operation.

The two-day meeting (29-30 June) in the Iranian capital ended with a declaration endorsing the creation of the INTERPOL Global Complex in Singapore and an undertaking by heads of National Central Bureaus to seek their government’s backing to provide INTERPOL travel document holders with visa-waiver status.

Attended by representatives from nine ECO countries – Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan – in his official opening, Minister of Interior for Iran, Mostafa Mohammad Nejjar said such meetings were important in sharing experiences and finding joint solutions to the complex issues of regional security.

INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble echoed this sentiment and congratulated the ECO region member countries ‘for their important collective efforts’ in combating transnational crime, particularly drug trafficking.

In addition to drugs trafficking, key issues discussed during the meeting attended by INTERPOL’s Executive Committee member for Asia, Tariq Khosa (Pakistan) and Executive Committee member for Europe, Süleyman Isildar (Turkey), was the exchange of information on terrorism and transnational organized crime, money laundering via INTERPOL, and ways to enhance and facilitate the identification, detention and extradition of fugitives among ECO member states.

In order to further enhance collaboration, the Economic Co-operation Organization secretariat was requested to discuss the signing of an agreement on security and police co-operation worldwide with the INTERPOL Secretary General.