Lithuanian minister urges new Interpol head to remain principled toward hostile regimes

  • 2024-11-06
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS - Following the election of Brazilian Police Commissioner Valdecy Urquiza as Interpol's secretary general, Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite urged the organization's new leadership to maintain a principled stance toward hostile regimes, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The new secretary general is taking over important duties at a challenging time," it quoted Bilotaite, who is attending the 92nd session of the Interpol General Assembly in the United Kingdom, as saying.

"It is very important that the new Interpol leadership remains principled toward hostile regimes and that our joint work continues to be smooth and coordinated," she added.

According to the minister, Interpol has so far maintained a strong values-based stance on investigating politically motivated cases, has taken a responsible approach to international search warrants issued by hostile regimes targeting politicians and law enforcement officials from Lithuania and other countries, and has shown resilience during Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

Lithuania expects that the world's largest police organization will continue to maintain the resilience and independence of its operational capabilities and will actively engage and assist the international community in investigating Russian war crimes, the ministry said.

At the General Assembly session in Glasgow, Bilotaite and her colleagues also discussed the fight against transnational crime and ways to improve the exchange of information among countries.

She also participated in bilateral meetings with outgoing Secretary General Juergen Stock and Yvette Cooper, the UK's secretary of state for the Home Department.

During the meetings, the minister presented Lithuania's measures to control illegal migration and discussed strengthening the Lithuania-UK partnership in information exchange and joint operations to combat drug trafficking and child sexual exploitation.

Urquiza is set to take over as secretary general on Thursday, when Stock, who has led the organization for ten years, concludes his second and final term.

Morocco will host the 93rd session of the General Assembly in 2025.