U.S. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Rand Beers traveled to Rome September 12–13 to meet with his Group of Six (G6) international counterparts from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Acting Secretary Beers joined U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for the G6 Ministerial Meeting, discussing with their European counterpart ministers shared goals and trans-Atlantic efforts related to migration, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and preventing and combating transnational crime.
“The Department of Homeland Security continues to collaborate with our international partners towards our common goals to combat and mitigate threats we all face, including countering terrorism and violent extremism, especially with regard to our international aviation system, as well as cooperating to improve cybersecurity,” Beers said.
During the G6 Ministerial Meeting, Acting Secretary Beers underscored the importance of information sharing, for example, via the Preventing and Combating Serious Crime Agreements, negotiated by the departments of Homeland Security and Justice, which increase critical information sharing capabilities with key partner countries to help prevent terrorism and transnational crime.
Acting Secretary Beers also emphasized the importance of the Department of Homeland Security’s international collaboration in law enforcement investigations in areas such as human trafficking, cybercrime and intellectual property rights violations.
Acting Secretary Beers also met with French Interior Minister Manuel Valls, German Federal Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich, Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano, Spanish Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz and U.K. Home Secretary Theresa May to discuss areas of common interest.
“We must continue to work together to combat these threats and the larger issue of transnational criminal activity,” said Acting Secretary Beers, “and enhance our common efforts to increase security for the United States and our partners around the world.”
