BRUSSELS, Jan 29 (KUNA) -- EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove Thursday urged EU member states to improve their cooperation on exchanging information to fight terrorism.
Speaking to reporters at an informal meeting of EU interior ministers in Riga, Latvia, he said "there is an ever growing consensus in making EUROPOL a hub for information exchange and this is an excellent idea." Kerchove called on the European Commission "to do more in terms of cohesion, fighting anti-Muslim discrimination, anti-Islam behaviour and as well anti-Semitic. I would like to hear from the ministers." "Another point is the counter narrative, how we can do better to challenge the narrative of Al Qaeda," he said. He hoped that todayآ’s meeting will prepare concrete and ambitious measures to be adopted by EU leaders during their meeting in Brussels on 12 February.
He said one of the main measures will be not only improving the monitoring of Internet but boosting the programme "Check the web" at Europol to be a bit more effective in removing illegal content from the web. On his part Rihards Kozlovskis, Minister for the Interior of Latvia, said "we are going to continue to discuss measures to help fight terrorism, such has combating radicalization, improving exchange of information and cooperation among all the authorities involved in fighting terrorism. As well, I would like to mention the fighting against the traffic of illicit firearms." (end) nk.ajs