Ljubljana - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs hosted a meeting of the ATLAS Commanders Forum held in Ljubljana on Tuesday, attended by representatives of the special police units from the EU member states. Hojs said that terrorism was placed high on the EU priority list and that the role of ATLAS network was important as well.

"Terrorism is changing. It is becoming increasingly fragmented, dispersed and thus unpredictable. With this in mind, it is essential to react and respond together and in time," Hojs said in his opening address.

"The role of the ATLAS network of police tactical units is thus of utmost importance, since it provides the common standards, operational exchange and training activities among antiterrorist units of the EU," he added.

Participants of the meeting agreed that cooperation between special forces units within the EU was good and that it should be further strengthened in the future.

On behalf of the Slovenian police, the meeting was also attended by Damjan Žagar, the commander of the Special Police Unit, and the unit's assistant commander Goran Maršič, the Interior Ministry said.

Meanwhile, Hojs also attended today's online board meeting of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL), where an evaluation of the agency's operation between 2017 and 2021, and its plans for the next two years, were presented.

"As the training of law enforcement officers is a shared responsibility of all EU member states, we are pleased that CEPOL is acting as a bridge to ensure the transfer of skills, knowledge and competences to successfully tackle all security challenges," said Hojs.