ITAR-TASS, Russia
April 1 2004

Georgia calls to resume law enforcement cooperation with neighbors

BAKU, April 1 (Itar-Tass) – Georgian Interior Minister Georgi
Baramidze called to resume contacts between police of Caucasian
countries and Russia within the framework of the Borjomi Four.

`Meetings of interior ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and
Russia should be resumed because they promote anti-crime fight,’ he
said at a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ramil Usobov
Thursday. The parties expressed concern over intensification of drugs
and arms smuggling, as well as mounted activity of criminal groups in
the region.

`Fighting this evil is a matter of high priority in the cooperation
of police forces of Georgia and Azerbaijan,’ Baramidze said. He also
stressed the necessity to intensify interaction of police in struggle
against terrorism. `We should be wary and act jointly to protect our
countries from terrorists,’ he said.

The Georgian Interior Ministry in strengthening the protection of the
state border with Azerbaijan `to prevent criminals from penetrating
Georgia from Azerbaijan and vice versa, as well as to bar the ties
between criminal groups of both countries.’