From Madrid:

The last few days have been productive...and exhausting. We left the hotel in Shannon yesterday at 7:30 AM for a flight to Dublin, where the Secretary had back-to-back meetings. She met with Irish Transport Minister Noel Dempsey to talk about implementation of our aviation preclearance agreement. I think it was clear in the meeting that both sides want this agreement in place. It will improve security for international flights coming to the U.S., and it will do so while making connecting in the U.S. easier. Just imagine: you land in the U.S. after a long flight from Europe, and instead of making stops at baggage claim, customs, baggage checking, and security, you can simply walk from one gate to the next. Before leaving Ireland, the Secretary also met with the Minister of Justice, Equality, and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern, to talk about a possible agreement to share information on transnational law enforcement, similar to the one she signed today with Portugal.

Then it was off to London. We landed at Stansted Airport just before 2 PM and headed to the office of the new Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, and then the office of the Transport Minister, Lord Adonis. These meetings covered a range of topics, including cybersecurity, air travel security, and combating violent extremism. These are all issues that are salient to both countries, and our close relationship is invaluable as we address these global threats. As we walked around the block from one minister's office to the next, I thought about the fact that each of these ministers has only been in office for a few weeks. Secretary Napolitano wanted to meet with her counterparts early in their tenure, to continue the US/UK discussion on these issues with the new team. Then there was the reception at the ambassador's residence, a home in a style befitting the emissary to "Her Majesty's Government."

Today, the Secretary had a series of media interviews in the morning before leaving London and flying to Portugal. There, the Secretary met with the Ministers of Justice, Foreign Affairs, and the Interior. They all made a point of mentioning that Secretary Napolitano was the first member of President Obama's cabinet to visit Lisbon. The Portuguese and U.S. negotiators, lawyers, and translators were putting the finishing touches on the agreement only an hour before it was signed.

I noticed the folks back home already posted on the information sharing agreement. I'll give it one more plug. We look forward to cooperating with as many nations as possible in combating transnational criminals and terrorists. The Secretary has repeatedly said that these threats don’t respect borders, and that we have to work with our international partners to ensure safety for all our citizens. Check out the earlier post for more on this.

After the signing, it was another media availability and then straight to the airport for a 6PM flight to Spain.

It's settling on 12 AM here in beautiful Madrid. We have another full day tomorrow. The good news is that the agreement that the Secretary is to sign, on cooperating with securing aviation, is already agreed to - 12 hours before she signs it.

I'll try to send in a post on the day's activities tomorrow. Thanks for tuning in.

Mark

Mark Koumans is the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of International Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security

Secretary Napolitano met this morning with Irish Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey and discussed implementation of a Preclearance Agreement signed between the United States and Ireland. The agreement, signed last November, allows the Customs and Border Patrol to conduct full preclearance of commercial and private passenger flights to the U.S. So, what does this mean for travelers? Two main things:

First, the original agreement gave CBP the ability to conduct immigration inspections only. The new agreement gives CBP the authority to inspect based on customs, immigration, and agricultural laws, making a stop in Ireland on the way to the U.S. even more worthwhile for passengers and airlines alike – it’s all of the inspections in one fell swoop. CBP will also be able to screen aircraft for radiological and nuclear threats.

The benefit to the average traveler is more efficient baggage processing: passengers flying from Ireland to the U.S. can have their luggage transferred from their international flight to domestic flights without having to claim it first. Anyone who has ever flown into the U.S. and then had to make a connection – after collecting their bags, rechecking them, and going back through security – understands this one.

More on the Secretary's trip as it happens.

Secretary Napolitano paid a visit to a Customs and Border Patrol facility in Shannon, Ireland today. She thanked them for their service and pledged to do all she could on this trip to make sure that the aviation preclearance agreements between Ireland and the US are in place and implemented by the end of July. Stay tuned over the next few days for frequent updates on her trip.

As you can see Secretary Napolitano touched down moments ago in Shannon, Ireland, kicking off her European trip. She has several meetings scheduled over the next few days in Ireland, mainly focused on aviation preclearance operations. We'll keep you updated. Don't forget to check out some of the Secretary's thoughts on what she hopes to accomplish on this trip.