* Event draws praise from dignitaries of various countries
* Key agreements signed in field of security
Under the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani Monday inaugurated the 12th International Event for Homeland Security and Civil Defence (Milipol Qatar 2018) at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC).
The opening ceremony was attended by a number of ministers and high-ranking officials in the State, the country's guests comprising ministers and police chiefs from a number of brotherly and friendly countries, as well as ambassadors accredited to Qatar and representatives of the exhibiting companies.
Following the opening ceremony, HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister toured the exhibition's various pavilions and sections, where he was briefed on the latest equipment and devices, and innovative services in the field of homeland security and civil defence. He also listened to an explanation about their functions and sophisticated technologies, and the integration of security systems in terms of strengthening internal security, prevention of and protection against different crimes.
Milipol Qatar 2018 is being attended by 219 exhibitors from 24 countries. Defence specialists from Qatar, France, Turkey, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Spain, Morocco, the UK and US, as well as seven new countries - Greece, India, Latvia, Morocco, Russia, Slovenia and Switzerland - have brought their innovations to Qatar in various fields such as public security, defence solutions and equipment, telecom security and technologies, firefighting, radiation detection, emergency equipment, law-enforcement products, communications software, airports security systems and more, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has said in a statement.
Organised by Qatar’s MoI and France-based Comexposium Security, Milipol Qatar features pavilions focusing on the UK, Germany, Italy, France and North America along with 90 exhibitors from Qatar. The event is being held over an area that is 30% bigger than in 2016.
The first day saw the signing of key agreements on the sidelines of the event.
For instance, the MoI inked an agreement to exchange information, training, development and entry and exit procedures with its counterpart in Australia. Also, the Security Systems Department at the ministry signed a co-operation agreement with Milestone Systems, a global leader in security systems, in the area of training and development..
The Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) and the General Directorate of the French National Gendarmerie signed a partnership and co-operation agreement in the field of security training. Under this, the French National Gendarmerie Officers School will train a number of Lekhwiya officers.
Ministers and senior officials from several countries praised the level of international participation in the event, QNA reported.
They stressed that Milipol Qatar has become one of the most important international exhibitions specialising in internal security and civil defence in the Middle East and North Africa, as it attracts leading international companies offering products and services that enhance the capabilities of countries in facing various security challenges.
