Brussels, 06/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 6 March, the European Union and Interpol inaugurated a project for controlling in real time, passports at the international airport in Tripoli, in partnership with the Libyan authorities. For the first time, the Libyan authorities responsible for border control will be able to refer directly to Interpol databases and access the Interpol network to detect stolen and lost passports and help identify suspects. In a press release, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, said that, “this EU/INTERPOL programme is an excellent example of the kind of practical support the EU is offering to Libya. It responds in real time to real needs, it makes available world class expertise and brings tangible benefits to both sides”.
This capacity is part of a €2 million programme set up by the European stability instrument. The programme consists of three elements: enhancing the Libyan Interpol National Central Bureau and its network, reinforcing the criminal analysis capacity of the Criminal Investigation Department within the Ministry of the Interior and a strategic study of transnational organised crime and terrorist threats in Libya.
In addition to this project, the EU is working towards the rapid deployment of an EU border assistance mission as part of the common defence and security policy context, which is expected to be launched in June this year. (CG/transl.fl)