The political and socio-economic factors that lead to terrorist radicalization and recruitment were the focus of an OSCE seminar which started Wednesday in Skopje.

It brought together some 50 participants, including security experts from eight countries and representatives of state agencies and civil society. The meeting will also explore how public-private partnerships and community policing can help to effectively prevent and combat terrorism.

"Evidently terrorism is a threat across the globe and Macedonia is not isolated in terms of risks and measures that need to be taken... It is an issue in Macedonia the same way it is for the United States or for any other democratic country in the world. When it comes to terrorism, there are no small or big countries under a threat of this global evil," stated Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska.

No criminal charges have been filed in Macedonia thus far for recruitment in a terrorist organization, however interventions in this regard have been made under the latest changes to the Criminal Code.

"A legal framework has been created to send a message that Macedonia won't allow radical structures to create fertile ground for the promotion of their ideas that damage the democracy and liberties of the citizens. However, security services, in particularly those focused on national security and other law enforcement institutions, are in non-stop coordination," Jankuloska added.

The Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje, Ambassador Ralf Breth said unfortunately radical extremism was a broadly disseminated phenomenon. "The idea of today's event is to exchange information, discuss about its roots and draft a strategy on how to counter violent extremism," stated the Ambassador.

US Ambassador Paul Wohlers reiterated that the issue of terrorism and radicalism was a global phenomenon.

"The United States urges us to work together and to learn from each other about the problem and to establish better coordination. I believe this is vital for the fight against terrorism," Wohlers said.

The event is co-organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Mission to Skopje, in co-operation with Ministry of Internal Affairs, and with support from the government of United States.