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Belgian FM: better co-operation needed in fight against terrorism

Xinhua, February 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Belgian foreign minister said on Monday that the fight against terrorism in Europe could be achieved more effectively with improved co-operation between countries.

Speaking at an event for high-ranking Belgian officials, Foreign Minister Didier Reynders called for greater international co-operation in the fight against extremism and terrorism in Europe. He also announced that the Council of Europe would host an international conference on May. 19 in Brussels to tackle the issue.

He words come as Belgium is currently involved in ongoing investigations into terrorist activities in several of its major towns and cities.

Several arrests and raids have been carried out by Belgian police in a clampdown on suspected terrorist-related activities. Other arrests have also been made across Europe.

In his address, Reynders included the ways to step-up progress, such as "exchanging more information, more efficient use of existing instruments, such as Europol, Eurojust and the information visa system of the Schengen zone, and finally better control our external borders."

Reynders also called for the adoption of an EU Passenger Name Record data directive. However, the controversial would-be law is currently being debated by the European Parliament, where some have expressed concerns about civil liberty issues.

"In the short term, it is absolutely necessary to me to adopt the directive, which is still blocked in the European Parliament. In the longer term, consider a better exchange of national lists of candidates for jihad among partners so they can be identified and located regardless of their movement," Reynders said. Endit