Colombia’s national police and European police organization Europol on Monday signed an agreement to expand cooperation.
The so-called Operational and Strategical Cooperation Treaty was signed by national police director Oscar Naranjo and Europol director Robert Wainwright in the Colombian capital Bogota.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said he hoped improved cooperation with the Europeans would lead to “the strengthening of institutionality” in Colombia, and help both Europe and Colombia to counter international crime.
“We are modernizing our intelligence community and part of this modernization is internationalization. Crime does not know borders. We need to expand cooperation with other countries and international organizations to combat transnational crime. With the Operational and Strategical Cooperation Treaty we are signing with Europol today we will be able to share information more effectively,” Santos said in a press release.
According to the president, Colombia is the first country in Latin America to sign a pact like this with Europol.
