Today, Minister of Justice Nela Kuburović met with Italy’s Anti-Mafia Prosecutor Federico de Raho to discuss cooperation in fight against organised crime, terrorism and corruption between Serbia and Italy. The Justice Minister stressed how exceptional cooperation between the two countries’ justice ministries was. She noted that the Serbian Ministry of Justice had concluded a Memorandum of Understanding with Italy’s Financial Police the year before, which – she explained – would allow Serbia’s prosecutors and police officers to undergo training in Italy to increase their knowledge of fight against corruption and organised crime.    

Kuburović and de Raho highlighted the importance of a direct cooperation between their countries’ prosecution authorities, acknowledging the excellent results in fight against organised crime which the joint investigation teams had been achieving. De Raho added that a fast and a direct exchange of information was also very important for an efficient fight against transnational crime; a crime which – he explained – jeopardised the economy and the stability of any country.

Kuburović reiterated that the new Organisation and Competencies of Government Authorities in Fighting Organised Crime, Terrorism and Corruption Act had entered into force on 1 March 2018. She explained that the statute had additionally increased the capacity of the Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime and enabled the opening of four regional anti-corruption centres in Serbia, effectively giving the prosecutors an opportunity to form target teams and significantly improving the coordination and the data exchange between the competent state authorities. She added that the new Anti-Corruption Agency Bill and the Lobbying Bill would soon be in the parliamentary adoption procedure.

Serbia’s Prosecutor for Organised Crime Mladen Nenadić, Italy’s Ambassador to Serbia Carlo Lo Cascio and Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia Andrea Orizio were also present in the meeting.