Georgia: Minister of Internal Affairs Alexander Darakhvelidze has arrived for a working visit to the People’s Republic of China. Currently, the Minister is in the People’s Republic of China as part of a delegation of the high-ranking officials of the ministry. The trip is intended for cooperation between law enforcement agencies of two countries.
During the visit, Darakhvelidze also participated in the International Police Cooperation Forum where representatives of foreign states shared similar issues concerning safety.
The Minister spoke briefly to the trainees. He spoke to them in brief about the fight against transnational organized crime, which is a crime committed beyond the borders of a state and cannot be fought in the borders of a country. He later praised crime prevention before the crime is committed. Finally, he told them that the national police had to work together in order to protect its citizens.
Modern crime groups are international, capable of functioning in a number of countries and capable of crossing borders with impunity in terms of movement of funds, people and contraband. So for agencies there is a need to take down barriers between states and work with one another. An event like this brings officers together face-to-face, networking and building trust with one another.
During his visit to the forum Darakhvelidze also held a bilateral meeting with Wang Dongbin. Darakhvelidze was welcomed by Wang Dongbin , Vice Governor of the Department of Public Safety .During the roundtable meeting, the participants exchanged information about the collaboration between Georgia and the law enforcement authorities of China. They deliberated on the accomplishments and the opportunities to improve the future cooperation.
This is important because the more in-person interactions the officials have with each other, the more effective their operational work can be. Law enforcement agencies, when they are known to each other and have mutual trust, can provide information and share support to investigations and responses to transnational threats quicker.
Prior to concluding the meeting Darakhvelidze thanked the Vice-Governor for a warm welcome and hospitality while the meeting with the Georgian delegation. Darakhvelidze invited Wang Dongbin to visit Georgia. Visits in both directions will enable the sides to meet in the future and foster further cooperation.
The Deputy Minister is accompanied by a senior delegation. The other group members are the heads of other branches at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. With these experts on hand, they will be able to meet in person with their Chinese counterparts and discuss specific aspects of police work and explore opportunities for cooperation.
“Crime Today Organized crime does not recognize borders and criminals do not think about national borders. Therefore, working with other countries is more crucial now than it has ever been. Georgia has shown the commitment to work with China and the international community in fighting organized crime and improving the security of its citizens while on this visit.”
The working visit is also a step towards building a close and friendly professional relationship between police services of the two countries. With closer contacts, an exchange of information and more visits to come, both countries look forward to further cooperation.
