At the invitation of Israeli Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan, Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinovic was in Israel, from 12 to 13 June 2018, attending the "International Homeland Security Forum", which was held in Jerusalem from 12 to 14 June.
The International Forum brought together ministers and senior officials from all around the world. The current terrorism and security issues, such as global and domestic terrorism, methods to combat organized crime and terrorism and to prevent terrorism, were discussed. Along with Minister Erdan and a number of Israeli experts, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin also attended the event.
In his address, Minister Božinovic emphasized that security is a foundation of all segments of our society, which is why Croatia welcomes the Israeli initiative for the better exchange of information and experience and strengthening of cooperation. He added that Croatia, aware of the importance of aviation security, ensured in its national legislation all necessary preconditions for the exchange of information on passengers in air transport. He also highlighted the importance of protecting public space, the need for cooperation with local communities and between public and private sectors in order to respond effectively to terrorist threats.
On the margins of the event, Minister Božinovic had a series of contacts and meetings, including meetings with his Israeli and the US counterparts.
At the meeting with the Israeli Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan, Minister Božinovic discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in a number of areas, from combating various types of crime to cooperation in protection and rescue in natural and humanitarian disasters. "Israel and Croatia are turning a new page in the security cooperation and raising it to the strategic level," said Božinovic after the meeting. The cooperation and exchange of experiences and best practices between the two polices was agreed, as well as the formation of working groups for cooperation on issues of border control, cybercrime, fire and emergency situations, forensic practices, announced. The existing cooperation agreement from 2009 will be revised - to include the new priorities for cooperation. The agreement will be signed during a visit of the Israeli Minister to Croatia.
Minister Božinovic also met with Kirstejn Nielsen, the US State Secretary of Homeland Security, as a continuation of the dialogue initiated in January 2018 during his visit to the US Department of Homeland Security. They discussed issues of great importance, also for Croatia, from cybercrime to organization of border control. With his American counterpart, Minister Božinovic addressed as well the issue of the US Visa Waiver Program. "Our proactive approach in this field has been well recognized, as well as all what we do in the field, including the implementation of IT solutions relevant to the US," said the minister after the meeting.
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