Tel Aviv, Aug 23 (CTK special correspondent Matej Riha) – The Czech and Israel police will form a special police team with the aim to exchange information faster and cooperate in cyber security and protection of soft targets, Interior Minister Milan Chovanec told reporters on Wednesday.
Chovanec (Social Democrats, CSSD) met Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, who is also the minister of information and strategic affairs, this afternoon.
Soft targets are the places with a high concentration of people that are not constantly protected and are easily accessible. These may be shopping, cultural and sports centres and churches.
“We are very glad that we will gain internal information from the battlefield,” Chovanec said.
He added that the Czech Republic could get information about easily accessible targets to create manuals for the organisers of mass sport events and the owners of shopping centres.
He also welcomed that people with experience from the country where attacks were almost on a daily basis would come to the Czech Republic.
Experts from both countries will also focus on the fight against cyber crime that is on the rise in the Czech Republic, Chovanec said.
Israel, along with the United States and South Korea, ranks among the closest allies of the Czech Republic in this sphere.
Deputy Police President Jaroslav Vild told CTK that both countries would form teams of experts that will communicate directly with one another. Their first meeting might take place in the Czech Republic this autumn.
The Czech and Israeli police have already been cooperating. They exchange information about all types of crime and criminal cases. They annually exchange several dozen pieces of information, Vild said.
They most frequently communicate information concerning terrorism, he said, adding that he believed the cooperation of both police corps would intensify even more.
The ministers agreed that the cooperation of both countries in the security area was on a very good level.
Erdan mentioned in his speech that Israel would like to be a leader in the fight against terrorism.
He said the countries must be fighting terrorism jointly and create an anti-terrorist coalition.
He also highlighted relations with the Czech government and appreciated the stance of Czech parliament that recently stood up for Israel in the case of the UNESCO criticism due to excavations in Jerusalem.
The Czech Chamber of Deputies rejected in May a UNESCO resolution saying it denied Israeli sovereignty over all of Jerusalem, and called on the Czech government to stop sending financial contributions to UNESCO.
