Sutaj Estok Signs Police Cooperation Deal with Czech Interior Minister

Bratislava, 6 February (TASR) – Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) and his Czech counterpart Lubomir Metnar signed an agreement on police cooperation in the old building of the Slovak Parliament in Bratislava on Friday. According to the Slovak minister, the two agreed on the need to bolster joint action in the fight against illegal migration and drug-related crime. The Slovak minister also praised the level of cooperation between the police and firefighters of the two countries. "We discussed issues that are important for our countries and for this region. Of course, the top most important topic is security. I welcome the joint stance that we have with the Czech government on illegal migration ... We also agreed that, given the security situation in the region, in Europe and globally, it's extremely important to focus on combating illegal migration," said Sutaj Estok. He announced that further joint exercises on the Czech-Slovak border will be organised within a "reasonable" timeframe. The ministers also agreed to expand cooperation in combating drug-related crime and to speed up exchanges of information between the security services of both countries. Metnar said that he and his Slovak counterpart were in agreement in all areas. He added that they discussed cyber-security, the functioning of European security agencies and the need for states to react quickly to changing trends. According to Metnar, the agreement also regulates cross-border procedures; for example in surveillance or pursuit. They mentioned the possibility for police officers to operate on the territory of the other country within a defined scope, adding that the rapid transfer of information is crucial, especially in emergencies. mf/df