Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel speaks during the opening ceremony of the first regional meeting of the World Anti-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) in Algiers, Algeria, on Oct. 25, 2017. Algeria on Wednesday urged the international community to reach a common definition of terrorism, and fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime. (Xinhua)
ALGIERS, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Algeria on Wednesday urged the international community to reach a common definition of terrorism, and fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime.
"There is a need to reach a common definition of terrorism, as it was the case with transnational organized crime," Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel said in his opening remarks at the first regional meeting of the World Anti-Terrorism Forum (GCTF).
Co-chaired by Algeria and the Netherlands, the two-day meeting discusses the links between terrorism and transnational organized crime.
Messahel argued that "legal arsenals already exist to address the scourges of terrorism and organized crime, but more efforts are required to cover the complex relationship between them."
He also stressed the importance of sharing information and data, reinforcing regional and international judicial cooperation.
Messahel listed narcotic trafficking, arm trafficking, human beings trafficking, money laundering illegal gold panning, and exchanging hostages with money as transnational organized crime in this region.
These activities drain considerable sums of money to the terrorist and criminal organizations, he said, urging efforts to better know and understand the evolution of the relationship and mutations that are born and develop between these two global threats.
The forum brings together senior officials and experts in the fight against transnational organized crime, prevention and counter-terrorism, border security and the fight against the financing of terrorism.
The GCTF member countries, international and regional organizations, including the UN, the African Union and the European Union also take part.
