PM: FBI could open office in Belgrade

Source: Tanjug

WASHINGTON -- Serbian PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić conferred on Friday with the director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), James Comey.

The FBI headquarters (Beta/AP, file)

According to reports, they discussed "collaboration of U.S. and Serbian law enforcement agencies."
"We once again agreed that the FBI has very good cooperation with Serbian law enforcement agencies, in particular with our Interior Ministry," Dačić said in Washington.

The meeting with the new FBI director was very good, Dačić said, adding that the possibility of the FBI opening its office in Belgrade was also discussed.

"The FBI will assess such a proposal in the next six months, and if it cannot be accepted, a decision will be made on the proposal to send an expert on fighting hi-tech crime and cyber terrorism to Belgrade," Dačić said.

Also discussed at the meeting were vital national and state issues concerning the fight against extremism and terrorism, especially against radical Islamism, he added.

"We discussed the exchange of information through cooperation of our services for combating hi-tech crime and cyber terrorism, since a large number of people from our region are joining extremist groups, especially those now active in Syria, which poses a threat to peace and the security of citizens in our region," Dačić said.

Holding a conference that would bring together FBI directors, regional interior ministers and police chiefs in late 2014 was also discussed with top FBI officials, he added.

Serbia has had traditionally good cooperation with the FBI, Dačić noted, recalling that, as interior minister, he has discussed the cooperation five times over the past six years with top FBI officials.

He said that he also met with Ted Poe, the chairman of the Serbian caucus in the US Congress, and thanked senators and congresspersons who are striving to present an objective picture of Serbia to the US.

"An agreement was made for a group of senators and congresspersons to come to Serbia by the end of the year to familiarize themselves with the great progress the country has made, not only on the path to EU integration, but also in the reforms of our political system," the Serbian prime minister, who currently heads the caretaker cabinet, has said.