Skopje, 1 November 2022 (MIA) – Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski addressed on Tuesday the 17^th Regional Meeting of South-East Europe Firearms Experts Network – SEEFEN. Spasovski extended gratitude for the European Union’s support of the South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) in terms of disarmament and arms control activities, and continuously supporting the SEEFEN network since 2013 to realize these important meetings throughout the region. “I’m convinced that the SEEFEN meetings encourage not only the deepening of regional cooperation in the development of skills and coordination in the fight against illegal trade and illegal possession of firearms, but also stronger cooperation with the European Union, its members and the specialized agencies of the European Union, as well as key international actors in the area who are regular participants in the event,” Spasovski stressed, the Ministry of Interior said in a press release. He added that all those present at the conference, particularly senior police investigators, ballistics experts, border police representatives, prosecutors and customs officials from the entire region tend to highlight good practices, exchange knowledge from lessons learned, share information about the new modus operandi and the way forward as a direct contribution to the implementation of the Roadmap for a sustainable solution to the illegal possession, abuse and trade of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition in the Western Balkans. Highlighting the importance of global and national activities, together with well-coordinated national and regional cooperation of all law enforcement agencies, Minister Spasovski noted that in the past years the Republic of North Macedonia has been actively working on implementing activities in the process of establishing a system of comprehensive control of weapons, according to the goals set in the National Strategy for Small and Light Weapons and the Action Plan. “Within the implementation of the objectives of the Roadmap, the National Commission for Small Arms and Light Weapons, i.e. the Ministry of Interior and other competent institutions are actively working to align legislation in the area of small arms and light weapons and explosives with the European regulation. Active work is also underway on the implementation of all planned activities in the direction of achieving greater results in raising public awareness of the dangers of the misuse of firearms, preventing trade in weapons, as well as establishing efficient systems for the exchange of information,” Spasovski added. Spasovski pointed out that the fight against illegal firearms trade has been raised to the level of a strategic priority of the Ministry of Interior, and as a result of planned targeted and intensified activities in the area, significant results have been achieved, as evidenced by the increased number of detected crimes and increasing the total amount of weapons, ammunition and explosives seized. Positive results, he added, have also been achieved in the area of ​​suppression of organized forms that are related to illegal firearms trade.