REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Head of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) Commissioner General Police Suhardi Alius visited El Centro de Inteligencia Contra el Terrorismo y el Crimen Organizado (CITCO), the Spanish anti-terror agency, in Madrid on Friday.
The visit was based on the invitation of CITCO as a follow up to the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Indonesia and Spain in 2015 in the field of counterterrorism.
"The Spanish anti-terror agency is keen to know about the developments in counterterrorism efforts in Indonesia," Alius stated in a press release received by Antara here on Saturday.
BNPT is expected to be aware of the spread of terrorism in Spain, as several terror incidents have occurred in Europe, and Spain is one of the gateways to Europe.
BNPT's entourage comprised the agency's Chief Secretary Major General Gautama Wiranegara, Inspector of BNPT Amrizal, Deputy III Brigadier General Hamidin, Director of Bilateral Cooperation Brigadier General Budiono Sandi, Director of Execution Brigadier General Torik Triyono, and Head of the Sub-directorate of America-Europe Cooperation Wandi Adriano Syamsu.
BNPT's entourage, accompanied by officials of the Indonesian Embassy in Madrid, was welcomed by CITCO leader Jose Luis Olivera Serrano along with his staff.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged information on the development of terror threats in both countries, including the spread of radicalism through social media and Foreign Terrorist Fighters.
On the occasion, Alius elaborated on Indonesia's steps in handling terrorism from upstream to downstream and the deradicalization program involving several parties, including former terrorists.
"Indonesia and Spain have agreed to improve counterterrorism cooperation in future," Alius, who had served as head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Indonesian National Police, stated.
Serrano lauded the implementation of the meeting between the two countries' anti-terror agencies. The anti-terror agency, under the Spanish Interior Ministry, also praised the deradicalization program run by the BNPT.
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