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Police officers in France
Photo: Christophe Ena/dpa
Germany and France want to support each other in the fight against terrorism at the European Football Championship and the Olympic Games. “German police forces will be deployed at the Olympics in Paris, French police will be deployed at the Euros in Germany,” said Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) to the “Handelsblatt”.
Safety during major sporting events is a top priority in both countries. Faeser emphasized that she had therefore agreed on “close cooperation” with the French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. The men's European Football Championship will take place in Germany from mid-June to mid-July, and the Olympic Games will take place in Paris from July 26th to August 11th.
“Identify and stop Islamist terrorist plans early”
This week, Faeser had already announced controls at all German borders during the European Championships. This measure is essential to "prevent violent criminals - whether Islamists, other extremists or hooligans - from entering the country," she told the Handelsblatt. The federal police will act carefully so that the controls have as little impact as possible on commuters and commercial traffic.
According to the minister, the German security authorities will arm themselves "even more strongly against all current threats." This ranges “from protection against Islamists and other potential violent criminals to the security of our networks against cyber attacks.” The federal and state governments are doing everything they can to “identify and stop Islamist terrorist plans early on.”
swe/afp