Virtual meeting of the Commander-in-Chief of Police and the Secretary General of Interpol
During an on-line call on Monday (19.04.2021) via the teleconference system, Commander-in-Chief of Police General Jarosław Szymczyk and Secretary General of Interpol Jürgen Stock discussed major issues related to security and cooperation between the Polish Police and Interpol. In his tweet following the meeting, the Secretary General of Interpol described the conversation as a "very constructive" and acknowledged that Poland remains one of Interpol's key partners in the fight against organized international crime.
The pandemic landscape of the current state of affairs has revised plans for the organization of a number of international events. Due to the sanitary precautions put in place, important events such as the upcoming Interpol European Regional Conference and sessions of the Interpol General Assembly had to be cancelled. Despite a number of limitations, Interpol has been actively promoting virtual meeting formats, maintaining contact and collaborating with member countries both in pursuit of its statutory objectives and in responding to the challenges of the moment.
During yesterday's conversation - which was essentially informal - the Commander-in-Chief of Police and the Secretary General of Interpol discussed the specifics of law enforcement activities during the pandemic, the challenges facing both the Polish Police and Interpol, and prospects for broadening further cooperation.
Secretary General Stock acknowledged that the Polish Police are one of Interpol's most important partners in supporting its efforts aimed at safeguarding global security. For a number of years now, we as a country have been one of the largest contributors to the Interpol database, which means that in their daily work, Polish officers demonstrate vigilance for the international aspects of criminal phenomena by both efficiently checking the Interpol databases and feeding them with relevant data. It is worth noting that Polish police officers have already been granted access to Interpol's blue notes, which is important in the context of countering terrorist threats. Implementation of further functionalities supporting international cooperation of the Polish Police is the subject of ongoing efforts.
As it turns out, the participants still have vivid memories of the extraordinary event, which was the 46th INTERPOL European Regional Conference organized in Katowice. Both interlocutors spoke fondly of the unique atmosphere of the Katowice Conference, agreeing that it was a model combination of Polish hospitality and professional organization.
In closing the conversation, the Secretary General of Interpol expressed his hope to visit our country and meet personally with the head of the Polish Police. The participants of yesterday's meeting assured of mutual support and their willingness to strengthen further cooperation.