Report UN shows where Kosovo is found in the fight against terrorism

Despite achievements against the terrorist Islamic State organisation, the report says Europe continues to face a number of threats from foreign terrorist organisations -- from foreign fighters returning from Iraq and Syria -- from domesticly cultivated terrorism, as well as from Iran-backed terrorists.

The report says Kosovo continued to fight the risk of terrorism through close co-operation with the United States. Kosovo continues to be a member of the Global Coalition for the ISIS Supervision.

Over 400 Kosovo men, women and children have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join terrorist groups. Some 70 have lost their lives. About 130 individuals returned to Kosovo, while another 200 continued to remain in conflict areas.

The political and security situation in Kosovo's north continued to limit the government's chances of exercising its authority. However, the Kosovo government strengthened legal measures against terrorism and adopted a new anti-terror strategy for the period 2018-2022.

Law enforcement authorities demonstrated the capacity needed to detect and prevent several terrorist plans in Kosovo and abroad, while the US State Department supported these efforts through the Antiterrorism Assistance Programme.

Among the nine court and investigative cases of 29 suspects is also mentioned in May 2018, when eight were convicted of planning an attack on the Israeli football team in Albania, as well as earlier on other facilities in Kosovo.

The Kosovo government is estimated to have continued to demonstrate the necessary political will for law enforcement and border security, supported by a considerable assistance from the United States.

However, in programmes against potential extremism, implementation has been unequivocal by various ministries and challenges continue to exist due to lack of proper capacities and resources.

Among European countries taking concrete steps against terrorism supported by the Iranian regime is also mentioned by Albania. The section for Albania reportedly continued to strongly support anti-terror efforts, as well as continued to participate in the Global Coalition for ISIS Opposition.

The terrorist threat in Albania comes from foreign fighters returning from Iraq and Syria, as well as from efforts to radicalise Albanian youth towards violence.

In December 2018, Albania expelled two Iranian officials, including the Iranian ambassador, in response to an Iranian-sponsored plan to carry out a terrorist attack in Albania. Albania continues to benefit from US government-funded assistance programmes for training prosecutors, law enforcement officials, financial investigators, intelligence analysts and judges.

Despite efforts to prevent the financing of terrorism, the conclusion of MONEYVAL, the Council of Europe's body, which praises Albania by “low efficiency” in the three main areas of terrorism financing: seizure, investigation and extension of financial sanctions. /The Voice of America