Georgia-Europol Sign Deal for Further Cooperation
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, March 12
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Europol's Director Rob Wainwright have signed a Liaison Agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding on secure communication line protocol.
According to the deal, Georgia and Europol are expanding joint efforts to better combat different types of crime.
Gakharia has stated that Georgia will send a Liaison Officer to Europol headquarters in the coming months, to further enhance cooperation against organised crime.
Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 28 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime.
Europol also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations.
Last week Gakharia announced about the new agreement with Europol, vowed the new deal would also play against illegal migration of Georgians to the EU states.
The minister claimed that the enhanced ties with the police agency would decrease the number of crimes committed by Georgian nationals abroad.
“Georgia’s deeper cooperation with foreign countries and Europol will reduce threats to the Georgia-EU visa free deal [signed last year],” Gakharia said.
In December 2016, the European Parliament made a long-waited decision for Georgia by confirming Georgia as a partner of Europol.
In the lead-up to the cooperation project announcement, experts from Europol visited Georgia in June 2015 and their subsequent report confirmed Georgia’s personal data protection was in "full line with European standards”.
