International engagement and information sharing discussed at meeting
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday met INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock who had expressed appreciation for the support extended by the Premier to promote engagement with the international organisation in the aftermath of the Easter attacks, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Stock is leading an INTERPOL delegation to Colombo and had also met with President Maithripala Sirisena earlier in the day.
During the meeting with Wickremesinghe, the INTERPOL Secretary General has remarked on the swift assistance extended by the Sri Lankan Government after 21 April and expressed their gratitude of the Prime Minister understanding the importance of international cooperation to counter terrorism.
Stock had also observed that while it was primarily law enforcement authorities and intelligence agencies that are typically engaged in counter-terrorism measures, it was important to have political support from time to time.
Wickremesinghe in response had noted that to counter global terror it was essential for countries and international organisations to work together, to share information and best practices. He had also acknowledged the importance of intelligence sharing in such instances.
The importance of using technology to counter crime and terror was also discussed at the meeting along with the need to protect critical economic and infrastructure from potential attacks, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
(FT)