Stronger judicial cooperation across the Western Balkans region is crucial for countering serious crimes – notably money laundering, corruption, organized crime, cybercrime and war crimes – speakers underscored at the Third Regional Forum on Judicial Cooperation in Budva, Montenegro.
In his opening remarks, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice of Montenegro, Zoran Pažin, highlighted the efforts of his government to increase international judicial cooperation by enhancing bilateral legal aid treaties, harmonizing national legislation and strengthening institutions.
US Ambassador Judy Rising Rainkeek emphasized the role of the Regional Forum in strengthening informal links between judicial authorities in different countries to combat organized crime and transnational criminal activities.
The Third Regional Forum on Judicial Cooperation took place in December 2019 and brought together representatives of the Ministries of Justice, the judiciary and prosecution offices from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia and Serbia, as well as international experts.
The Regional Forum is the central annual event in the Western Balkans region on the topic of international judicial cooperation. It was organized by the Ministry of Justice of Montenegro in collaboration with IDLO and with the support of the ‘IPA/2017 Countering Serious Crime in the Western Balkans’ project, funded by the European Union, and the US Embassy in Podgorica.
