The Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, and the Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy and Planning at the US Department of Homeland Security, Rob Law, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation and Letter of Intent between the Ministry of Citizen Protection and the Department of Homeland Security of the United States of America yesterday.
During the signing of the two documents, the delegations of the two countries confirmed the good climate and close cooperation that the Services have developed in the fight against organized cross-border crime.
Furthermore, Messrs. Chrysochoidis and Law, with the texts they signed, agreed on closer operational coordination, strengthening the exchange of information and developing joint actions against the modern threats posed by transnational criminal organizations. At the same time, the development of joint operational actions is envisaged in the areas of counter-terrorism, combating serious and organized crime, border security and information exchange.
The meeting was attended by the First Deputy Chief of the Hellenic Police, Lieutenant General Panagiotis Poupouzas, the Director of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, Major General Fotis Ntuitsis, the Deputy Director of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, Major General Ioannis Stavrakakis, the Director of the Directorate for International Police Cooperation, Brigadier General Christos Tsitsimpikos, the Head of the General Directorate for Border Management and Migration, Brigadier General Zambia Gypari and Senior Officers of the Hellenic Police. On the American side, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Athens, Joshua Huck, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategy, Policy and Planning at the US Department of Homeland Security, John Gountanis, the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security for Counterterrorism and Threats to the Homeland, Nicholas Kikis, the Deputy Assistant Director of the Office of Homeland Security Investigations at the US Embassy, Selwyn Smith, as well as other officials from the United States Department of Homeland Security (Department of Homeland Security – DHS) and the US Embassy in Athens, participated.
