APS : Tuesday, 27 November 2018
ALGIERS-The Special Adviser on counter-terrorism, organized crime and intelligence at Canada’s Foreign Ministry, David Drake on Tuesday emphasized the “joint” counterterrorism efforts made by Algeria and Canada,
and stressed the importance of bilateral solidarity and cooperation to address the terrorist threat in the Sahel and West Africa region.
Drake, who co-chaires with Foreign Minister, Abdelkader Messahel the plenary meeting of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) on capacity building in West African countries, said that the terrorism does not only affect the countries shaken by this scourge, but also all countries because terrorism has no borders.”
“No one is immune to the terrorist threat. Therefore, we must show solidarity and strengthen our capacities in the Sahel and West Africa,” a region where several terrorist groups are activating, warned the Canadian diplomat.
Lauding Algeria’s ongoing commitment to counterterrorism, Drake expressed the admiration of Canada for the efforts made by Algeria, not only by the organization of this important meeting but also “the generous sharing of its great counterterrorism experience with the rest of the world.”
“Canada would like to thank Algeria not only for its hospitality, but above all, for its commitment and contribution through sharing its counterterrorism experience with other countries. I reaffirm my country’s commitment to “jointly” combating terrorism with Algeria,” stated the Canadian official.
For his part, Ambassador and Adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, El Haoues Riache underlined the importance of the second plenary session held jointly by Algeria and Canada on counterterrorism, cooperation and capacity building in the Sahel and West Africa, in accordance with the GCTF’s working plan until September 2019.
The meeting will focus on priority issues, including terrorism funding, the return of foreign fighters, border security management, police cooperation, national plans to prevent violent extremism as well as the integration of gender prospect into counterterrorism actions.
