Reid to host European talks on terrorism
Wednesday, 25 Oct 2006 12:27
John Reid will host the G6 meeting in Warwickshire
Home secretary John Reid is to host a two-day meeting of leading European politicians to discuss how countries can work together to combat terrorism.
Mr Reid's informal discussions with fellow interior ministers from Germany, Italy, Poland, France and Spain begin in Warwickshire today, with illegal migration and organised crime also featuring on the agenda.
In a statement yesterday, the Home Office said that the so-called G6 group of countries would explore how they could work together to tackle such "international challenges", which were shared across Europe.
Although the G6 has no formal decision-making powers, a spokesman for the Home Office said that the group provided a "forum for frank discussion on home affairs matters".
The G6, whose members meet on an ad-hoc basis two or three times a year, together represent about three quarters of the European Union's total population.
Speaking ahead of today's meeting of the G6 at Ettingham Park, near Stratford Upon Avon, a Home Office spokesman said: "The discussions will mostly centre around terrorism but other home affairs issues will be looked at."
He added: "It will focus particularly on how the next terrorism attack can be pre-empted and challenging radical extremist ideas."
The talks follow last week's warning from counter-terrorism officials that Britain is now the top target for terror group al-Qaida.
Sources cited in the Guardian newspaper said that al-Qaida had survived ongoing campaigns to reduce its influence and had earmarked the UK as its main focus for future attacks.