Serbian, Swedish police to cooperate on migratory crisis

Serbia is willing to exchange information with Sweden on migrants to prevent potential security risks, Serbian interior minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said here Monday.

Stefanovic made the statement after meeting with his Swedish counterpart Anders Ygeman who is on an official visit to Serbia.

They discussed police cooperation between the two countries, as well as the topics of terrorism and the migratory crisis which is expected to escalate again this spring.

"Serbia is willing to cooperate with Sweden in the best manner concerning the exchange of information on migrants who are travelling through our country, as well as other persons of interest," Stefanovic said at a press conference after the meeting, reminding that Sweden had recently donated 9 million euros (10 million U.S. dollars) to help Serbian police develop and fulfill obligations of the European integration process.

He said the two ministers agreed that Europe needed a joint approach to the migratory crisis in order to prevent problems that could arise with the new wave of migrants.

"We understand the scale of economic and security problems Sweden is faced with, the efforts its police must undertake to keep the country safe, as well as to provide conditions for migrants," Stefanovic said.

He stressed that police forces of the two countries were cooperating well in the exchange of information and that by working jointly they had managed to prevent smuggling of large quantities of illegal drugs, weapons and cigarettes.

Ygeman announced the two countries would continue to develop their good cooperation, adding that Sweden supported Serbia on its path to European Union membership. Endit