Damascus Joins Cairo Talks to Strategize Against Organized Crime

The Syrian Ministry of Interior participated in a multilateral regional meeting hosted in Cairo, Egypt, aimed at developing a comprehensive Arab strategy to combat transnational organized crime. The event, held from September 13 to 16, brought together high-ranking security delegations from across the Arab world to address cross-border security challenges.

The Syrian delegation was represented by Brigadier General Hussein Al-Hammadi, Director of the Criminal Security Department, and Zaher Zeidan, representing the International Cooperation Department and the International Criminal Police branch. This participation aligns with Damascus’s ongoing efforts to enhance security coordination with neighboring Arab states on matters of mutual interest.

The meeting saw active involvement from several regional and international organizations, including the League of Arab States, the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the United Kingdom’s embassy. Discussions centered on establishing the fundamental pillars of the proposed strategy. Key areas of focus included mechanisms for crime prevention, judicial prosecution methods, victim protection, and the strengthening of effective regional and international partnerships.

On the sidelines of the proceedings, the Syrian delegation engaged in a series of intensive bilateral meetings with heads of participating Arab delegations, as well as representatives from the UNODC, the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States. These discussions focused on issues directly related to countering organized crime and exchanging perspectives on how to bolster joint security cooperation. The objective of these dialogues is to support regional stability and achieve greater integration in addressing shared security threats that transcend national borders.

Source: Syria Focus Arabic