Justice Minister Tsai Ching-hsiang met with officials from the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) July 7 in The Hague, the Netherlands, to seek closer cooperation on combatting crime, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Tsai was welcomed by Jose de la Mata Amaya, chair of the Board on Relations with Partners, and heard a briefing by former chair Lukas Stary on the judicial cooperation between Eurojust and non-EU countries.
The minister took the opportunity to thank Eurojust for its long-term support for Taiwan. He also stressed that the country has implemented comprehensive laws on preventing terrorism financing and money laundering, as well as cultivated top-notch legal personnel.
According to the MOJ, the two parties exchanged views on issues such as human rights protection and judicial collaboration. They both agreed that the fight against crime transcends borders, and that law enforcement must not be unduly influenced by political issues, the ministry said, adding that the two sides will continue to deepen cooperation.
The MOJ said Tsai was invited to sign the guest book, adding that the minister’s message expressed Taiwan’s willingness as a responsible member of the international community to work with like-minded partners on crime investigations.
First introduced at a European Council meeting in 1999, Eurojust is composed of national prosecutors, magistrates and police officers. The role of the organization is to coordinate the work of national authorities, including those of EU members and other participating states, in investigating and prosecuting transnational crime.
Taiwan joined Eurojust’s contact point network in 2012, the MOJ said, adding that the country has engaged in several cases with European nations through the network. (YCH-E)
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