Remarks by U.S. Ambassador Marcie Ries at FBI Equipment Donation Ceremony (29 June 2006)

Mr. Minister, honored guests, I want to thank you very much for participating in today’s ceremony to donate critical law enforcement equipment to the Ministry of Interior. 

As Mike just said, and I want to underscore, the U.S. Government is committed to working closely with Albanian law enforcement authorities to fight organized crime through areas such as information sharing, technical advisors, and joint investigations.  And, as this ceremony demonstrates, we are working together to figure out what kind of equipment Albania's law enforcement people need.

The significance of contemporary equipment cannot be overstated – criminals, too, are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

I want to say that I am very grateful to the FBI who, through its participation in the South Eastern Cooperative Initiative (SECI), made possible today’s donation of $335,000 in equipment and vehicles to the Interior Ministry's Organized Crime Directory and the Directory of War Against Terrorism Acts.

So, how exactly is this equipment going to help: it will help by protecting personnel tasked with arresting violent offenders; it will provide advanced computer technology to analyze complex organized crime groups and share intelligence information; and it will give Albanian police sophisticated tools to help identify and gather evidence against organized crime groups.

Through the Regional Office in Bulgaria, the FBI has also increased its cooperation with Albania’s Interior Ministry on fighting organized crime, and provided us with a special agent, which we deeply appreciate.

As criminal activity expands across borders, continents and even oceans, cooperation by law enforcement authorities on both the regional and international levels has increasingly become one of the most effective ways to break up crime groups and stop their spread.

This is not an easy job to do. It requires courage and patience and persistence. But with modern tools and enhanced skills, we hope you will be better equipped in fighting organized crime.  Through our assistance programs and joint activities, the U.S. Government remains committed to helping Albanian law enforcement authorities win this important fight, while increasing public respect and understanding for law enforcement. 

Thank you very much.

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