Giorgi Gakharia Signs Agreement with Europol

Georgia’s Vice-Premier and Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Europol's Director Rob Wainwright have signed a Liaison Agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding on a secure communication line protocol.

The signing ceremony took place at the Europol Headquarters in Hague during Gakharia’s visit to Belgium.

The signed documents are very important for the development of cooperation between Georgia and Europol as they enable the implementation of the Agreement on Strategic Partnership and Cooperation signed between the Europol and Georgia on 4 April 2017.

On the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding on a secure communication line protocol, secure communication channel will be established between Georgia and Europol, through which the parties will be able to exchange information and data, including operational information.

The liaison agreement entered into force immediately after signing. Based on this, Georgia can already send a Liaison Officer to Europol Headquarters.

Gakharia informed Europol's Executive Director about the institutional changes planned in the Criminal Police Department, where the operational units in charge of international cooperation will be united into one center, responsible for contact with Europol 24/7.

Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency, tasked with assisting the 28 EU Member States and EU partner nations in their fight against serious international crime and terrorism.

The European Parliament approved a project, allowing Georgia to become a partner of Europol in late December, 2016.

By Thea Morrison