Albania, Italy create anti-terror task force

Albania, Italy create anti-terror task force

Italian authorities say that in fighting terrorism, it is important to engage Albania and Kosovo.

Roberto Della Rocca, a deputy director with the Italian police (left) visits Albania's interior ministry. [Albanian Ministry of Internal Affairs]

Balkan countries are increasing police and military co-operation with EU member states following the terrorist attacks in Paris, experts said.

Albania established a joint terrorism task force with Italy earlier this month and will train experts and police officers, exchange information in real-time and create an anti-terrorism database.

Officials said the task force is a bilateral collaboration between the police forces of the two countries, but is open for co-operation with other countries as well.

Security and other experts, police officers and officials will participate in the work of the task force.

The terrorist attacks this month in Paris made the issue of co-operation between Albania, the region and the EU an absolute priority in order to make the fight against terrorism more effective, said Albania Interior Minister Sajmir Tahiri. "[Co-operation] starts with exchange of information, ending up with joint, operational, specific actions against terrorism," Tahiri said.

Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano, who visited Albania on January 14th, said he will ask the EU Council to invite Western Balkan representatives at the EU forum of interior ministers.

"I will also propose to the multi-national teams established during the second half of 2014 to include in them representatives of Albania, exactly with this intention, of the fight against terrorism," Alfano said.

The Balkans should be closely...