BUDIMIR: EXCHANGING INFORMATION AND TRAINING IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM IS THE OBJECTIVE

BANJA LUKA, JANUARY 28 /SRNA/ - The Minister of the Interior of Republika Srpska Željko Budimir stated today that the purpose of opening the office of the Hungarian Ministry of Interior's Counter-Terrorism Center /TEK/ in Zalužani near Banja Luka is to cooperate on information exchange and training, which should contribute to the fight against terrorism.

"We can only fight terrorism through the exchange of information, which is important for prevention, but also for situations where it is necessary to deploy special counter-terrorism units," Budimir told reporters after the opening of the office, which is located within the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior's training center. He noted that the fight against terrorism also involves combating organized crime, which is a daily reality in Europe. "The migration crisis has brought us new challenges, where our shared goal is to strengthen regional cooperation, and the cornerstone of that is collaboration with TEK, who have experience from which we can learn a lot. We will make our best practices available," Budimir emphasized. The Director of Hungary's Ministry of Interior Counter-Terrorism Center /TEK/ János Hajdu said that terrorism represents the extreme end of radicalization, aimed at threatening a fundamental human need - security. "In order for law enforcement agencies, especially counter-terrorism units, to adequately respond to all the challenges posed by terrorism, ordinary cooperation is not enough. It is necessary to exchange different approaches and experiences, become familiar with each other's areas of expertise, and discuss professional issues of mutual interest," Hajdu said. He added that through cooperation, an effective system is established that can contribute to the security of states and citizens. "If we act separately and build walls, the threat will always be one step ahead of us," Hajdu emphasized. He stated that a series of trainings has been launched, the first of which focuses on the practical application of tactical medicine, providing insight into TEK's system of tools and capabilities. Hajdu said that the opening of the office is a practical implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening police cooperation between the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior and Hungary's TEK, signed in February last year with the Director of the Republika Srpska Police Siniša Kostrešević.