I see BNPT as an institution which is experienced in tackling terrorismJakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) and its Dutch counterpart, Nationaal Coödinator Terrorismebestridjing en Veiligheid (NCTV), jointly held a workshop on managing foreign terrorist fighters (FTF) and returnees from Syria, including women and children, here, Monday.
The workshop was held with the objective of offering inputs to draft regulations on FTF and returnees, BNPT Head Suhardi Alius stated in his opening speech during the workshop.
"The state must prepare proper regulations in dealing with FTF and returnees comprehensively and effectively within the frameworks of international and national regulations. That is the objective of this workshop," Alius noted in a statement here on Tuesday.
The workshop's participants shed light on their experiences and problem-solving efforts on the handling of FTF returnees during the meeting.
"We hope this workshop would be useful for every participant," Alius stated.
NCTV Chief Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg was vocally pleased on seeing Alius whom he referred to as his best friend, adding that the BNPT and NCTV had intensified cooperation in the field of counterterrorism.
"As I have mentioned earlier, international cooperation is crucial in the fight against terrorism. I see BNPT as an institution that is experienced in tackling terrorism," he stated.
The BNPT and NCTV had inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on counterterrorism that encompasses cooperation of experts and in intelligence, deradicalism, as well as local approaches.
"We share ideas on how to make our institutions better. Today, in particular, we open this conference on FTF and deradicalization especially. I hope that during this visit, I would be able to take a cue from BNPT on ways to deal with terrorism," he stated.
After the workshop was opened, the BNPT and NCTV chiefs accompanied the visiting Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, during a meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Bogor Palace, West Java.
Aalbersberg and Alius later held a meeting at the BNPT Headquarters in Sentul, West Java, to deliberate on plans to materialize the agreement inked by the two agencies in Amsterdam in June 2019.
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Translator: Fardah Assegaf
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
