Europe faces challenges and threats common to MENA countries and the establishment of constructive dialogues, giving voice to the other side of the Mediterranean, strengthens confidence, but above all the motivation to work together.

Therefore, we will seek to discuss the deepening of police cooperation with the Southern Mediterranean countries, namely the prevention and fight against organised crime, the exchange of information and criminal analysis and the improvement of the existing communication channels between the European Union (including the European Agencies) and these countries, in order to contribute to the strengthening of the response capacity to the increasingly complex security challenges in both regions.

The conference will be opened by the Portuguese Minister of Home Affairs and the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs, with the Executive Directors of the European Agencies EUROPOL and CEPOL and the Secretary General of the International Criminal Police Organization INTERPOL accompanying the meeting in Lisbon. The Secretary General of the Arab Council of Interior Ministers, the Director General of DG NEAR and the Deputy Director General of DG HOME will also speak at the event.