MINSK, 23 December (BelTA) – Joint efforts to ensure security, counteract modern challenges and threats, and fight crime remain priority areas of work in the Commonwealth of Independent States, BelTA learned from the welcome address sent by Sergei Lebedev, Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, CIS Executive Secretary, to participants of the fifth session of the CIS Council of Heads of Penitentiary Services. The session took place on 23 December, the CIS Executive Committee press service told BelTA.
The council plays the leading role in coordinating the interaction of the CIS states in discharging special functions in the sphere of execution of penal sanctions. Over a short period of time the council has done a considerable amount of work to form the basis of penitentiary cooperation, determine approaches to improving the penal practice, work out forms and methods of interaction with the relevant industry-specific cooperation bodies of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The welcome address noted that the council takes an active part in the realization of interstate programs on cooperation in crime control and fight against terrorism.
Sergei Lebedev noted: “Modern multidisciplinary threats and challenges are capable of substantially destabilizing security in the CIS space. In these conditions it is of crucial importance to step up the level of coordination of actions of our relevant government agencies, improve the legal base of cooperation, and share pre-emptive information and possible work experience.”
Sergei Lebedev also said he was confident that the decisions the fifth session would make would become another step to bolster practical interaction, work out collective and coordinated measures to fight crime while their results would contribute to stronger security in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
