HIBAPRESS
The Director-General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, Abdellatif Hammouchi, is conducting a working visit to the Austrian capital, Vienna, during the period between the 5th and 7th of May, at the head of an important security delegation representing the National Security Directorate General and the Directorate General of Territorial Surveillance.
A statement from the National Security Directorate General and the Directorate General of Territorial Surveillance mentioned that this visit includes works related to participating in consultations and multilateral cooperation meetings in the field of security and intelligence work organized by specialized offices of the United Nations. It also includes a special axis for strengthening joint bilateral cooperation with security and intelligence officials in the Republic of Austria. The same source added that on the multilateral side, this visit comes within the framework of participation in the works of the twenty-third regional meeting of intelligence agencies and security institutions, organized by the United Nations at the Vienna International Center in the Austrian capital, with the aim of coordinating regional efforts to counter the dangers of terrorist organizations. The Kingdom of Morocco is participating in this regional meeting, along with security and intelligence officials from the United Arab Emirates, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Libya, Oman, Tunisia, and Sudan, in addition to Turkey and Pakistan. During this regional meeting, Mr. Hammouchi shared the model of the integrated and multi-axis Moroccan security interests in the field of combating terrorism and extremism, and he also reviewed the current map of the extensions of the terrorist threat in many areas of tension around the world. The Director-General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance also shared with the attending delegations the challenges related to terrorist threats and ways to combat them from a collective and joint perspective. Mr. Hammouchi took advantage of his presence in the Austrian capital, Vienna, to hold independent discussions with his counterpart, Ms. Silvia Mayer, Director-General of the State Protection and Intelligence Services in Austria, which addressed ways to strengthen and develop the existing security partnership between the Moroccan security services and their Austrian counterparts, with the aim of developing mechanisms for joint cooperation in various fields of security and intelligence work to confront security threats and challenges. These discussions reviewed issues of common interest, especially security files related to immigration, cross-border crime, human trafficking, combating terrorism and forms of extremism, combating money laundering, arms trade, prevention of drug trafficking, and the exchange of information regarding wanted persons at the international level. The Austrian security official praised the great intelligence support provided by the Directorate General of Territorial Surveillance, which contributed to thwarting dangerous terrorist plots and arresting extremists on Austrian soil, and she also expressed her desire to learn about and benefit from the Moroccan experience in the field of combating terrorism and organized crime, stressing that Morocco is a safe country that enjoys security and stability. In a related context of bilateral cooperation, the Moroccan delegation held other bilateral meetings with representatives of the security and intelligence agencies of Pakistan, Turkey, Iraq, and Oman, during which ways to enhance security and intelligence cooperation with these friendly countries were discussed. The statement concluded that this visit confirms, once again, the distinguished position and the effective role that Morocco plays in the field of international security cooperation. It also reflects the credibility and reliability that the Moroccan security services enjoy with their European and regional partners, as a key player in the joint efforts to preserve international security and stability.
