General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s Interior Minister, met in Paris with Major General Dr. Ahmed Naser Al Raisi (photo), the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) President.
Major General Al Raisi welcomed the visit of the Minister, which indicates support for the role of the Interpol in fighting crime and addressing security challenges. He highlighted Interpol’s commitment to consolidating security cooperation and coordination while maintaining accuracy, professionalism, and swift response in exchanging and analysing information and fighting international crimes.
For his part, the Minister thanked Interpol for reinforcing cooperation in fighting crimes, exchanging of expertise, and capacity building through security and legal efforts and procedures, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.
General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah also praised Interpol’s advanced forensic database system for contributing countering crime. He highlighted the organisation’s distinguished and professional efforts in supporting police authorities in fighting international and cross-border crimes using the latest technologies to protect global security and peace.
The Minister was briefed on Interpol’s efforts to promote international cooperation and training courses to enhance the capabilities of police personnel and law enforcers. He indicated the expansion in the scope of crimes in economic, electronic, cybersecurity, emerging and cross-border crimes.
The Interior Minister underscored the Interpol President’s role in promoting cooperation and fighting all types of organised crimes, especially in exchanging and analysing information through a joint database. He affirmed the importance of maximising efforts to prevent and control crimes, especially with the accelerated pace of using modern technologies.
The Interpol President lauded the role of the Bahraini police and their active engagement in many joint security operations in cooperation with other police authorities to tackle crimes. He also commended the role of Bahrain’s Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) and its efforts to support joint operations within the framework of the international organisation.
The meeting discussed various security topics, including using Artificial Intelligence (AI) programmes to combat crime, supporting security cooperation, and improving performance in the face of security challenges.
General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s Minister of Interior, also met Wednesday, with Laurent Nunez, the Chief of Police of the City of Paris.
Nunez affirmed the significance of the Minister’s visit to further enhance security cooperation and coordination between the two countries to achieve common strategic and security objectives.
For his part, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah lauded the strong relations between Bahrain and France, emphasising their shared commitment to enhancing law enforcement cooperation.
The Interior Minister stressed that in light of global security challenges, countries must collaborate and coordinate their efforts to leverage modern programmes and technologies to prevent crimes from occurring.
He commended the French expertise in medical emergencies, highlighting its significant contribution to establishing Bahrain’s National Ambulance Service in collaboration with the French Centre for Emergency Medical Assistance.
The two parties agreed to establish a joint committee that will meet regularly to monitor progress, coordinate efforts, and facilitate the ongoing exchange of expertise.
The meeting focused on enhancing cooperation in various security fields, including homeland security, civil defence and combating economic crimes and keeping pace with the rapidly evolving challenges in this area. The discussion centered on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) applications to combat crime more effectively.
The meeting also discussed cooperation in traffic, judicial police, financial investigations, and combating cybercrime and cross-border crimes.
The Minister also visited the French Ministry of Interior and was briefed on security preparations for the Paris Summer Olympics, scheduled from July 26 to August 11.
He was also briefed on the command-and-control centre, patrol management and monitoring system, and distribution of patrols to ensure a quick response to reports and distress calls.
The Minister was briefed briefed on the “smart security prediction” system for anticipating future crimes and was informed about the most significant initiatives and innovations in counter-crime measures.
The Minister also met with Lieutenant General Christian Rodriguez, the Director General of the French National Gendarmerie. The Minister praised the roles played by the French National Gendarmerie Forces and their security performance, commending the existing cooperation between the two countries in the police field.
The Minister of Interior commended the French police services for their achievements in combating crime and adapting technologies and AI applications in crime prevention programmes.
