Interior Minister Dragutin Mate and Justice Ministry State Secretary Robert Marolt took part in an EU-US ministerial on justice and interior affairs in Washington on Tuesday. Topping the agenda were EU-US relations, legal aid, extradition treaties, data protection and reciprocal visa regime.
According to Mate, the meeting was an important step in strengthening relations with the US, improving cooperation and continuing efforts to solve open issues. "Cooperation between the EU and the US is key to the security of our continents," Mate was quoted as saying in an the Interior Ministry press release.
The minister also took the opportunity to present Slovenia's priorities as EU president in the first half of 2008. These include the security of EU citizens, especially because of the introduction of the Schengen no-border zone.
Data exchange between authorities will be key for future actions against cross-border crime and terrorism, Mate said. However, he warned that storing such information will require a secure system of data protection.
The interior minister also invited his US colleagues to a EU-US ministerial in Slovenia. "The only way to be successful in the field of security is strategic cooperation, which is a big responsibility for all countries ... Slovenia will contribute its own piece into the mosaic of cooperation," he said.
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