Strengthening Partnerships with our International Allies
![Map of Europe, North Africa and Middle East](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090825184454im_/http://www.dhs.gov/journal/leadership/uploaded_images/eu_me_afr_2-729430.jpg)
We recently signed several important agreements with our European allies to improve information sharing and enhance collaboration on the development of science and technology. My trip, which begins this Saturday and will include visits to Ireland, Britain, Portugal, and Spain, with a final stop in Kuwait to visit our Coast Guard operations, will build on these and other efforts.
- In Ireland I will assess preparations for aviation preclearance operations, which are scheduled to begin on July 29.
- In the UK, I’ll be meeting with the new Home Secretary and the new Transport Secretary on a number of issues, including cyber-security, science and technology collaboration, countering violent extremism, and civil aviation security.
- In Portugal, we will discuss ways to improve and increase information sharing to counter threats in both of our countries.
- And in Spain we will discuss enhancing the security of air travel between our two countries, building off of the recent agreements we’ve made to improve criminal information sharing and science and technology cooperation.
We have a strong partnership with Europe when it comes to fighting terrorism and other forms of transnational crime. In the coming weeks, I’ll be talking more about our counter-terrorism efforts both at home and abroad, especially as we approach the 5th anniversary of the release of the 9/11 Commission Report on July 22.
It will be a good opportunity to assess how far we’ve come in our fight against terrorism, our work to secure our country – and what steps remain.
Janet Napolitano
Labels: counterterrorism, information sharing, international, partnerships