(ANSAmed) – CATANIA, OCTOBER 3 – Italy’s national customs agency on Wednesday launched a new cooperation program to increase legal trade and fight arms, drugs, toxic waste and counterfeit goods trafficking in the Mediterranean.
Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia joined the program, called Mediterranean Initiative, which was presented in the Sicilian town of Taormina. Turkish Deputy Trade Secretary Mehmet Guzel was among those present as authorities outlined how coordinated actions between customs agencies can fight what they termed ”pathological trade.” ”Through this initiative, we expect to achieve concrete results in preventing illicit trade without curbing the legal one,” said Natalina Cea, who directs the customs agency cooperation office.
”A key part of the plan is to create integrated data banks capable of identifying trustworthy operators,” said Deputy Customs Agency Director Walter De Santis. ”This is an ambitious but doable project, that can lay the basis for significant development in an area with great economic potential.” (ANSAmed).
