Libya's Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha paid a visit Thursday, to the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) HQ in Lyon, France, upon an invitation of its Secretary-General, the Media Office of the Interior Ministry disclosed on Facebook Thursday.

The INTERPOL Secretary-General, Jürgen Stock expressed his gratitude to meet with Libyan interior minister, in order to discuss security issues of common concern.

For his part, Bashagha emphasized the role of the INTERPOL in combating crime at the regional and international levels, which could disturb friendly relations and common interests between states, as he described.

"Libya and the INTERPOL, through the National Central Office in Tripoli, are playing a decisive role in combating criminality and organized crime in all its forms and in the interest of international cooperation in this regard," Bashagha stressed, underscoring that training programs and raising the efficiency of the ministry's employees are among their top priorities.

The meeting also highlighted the strategic importance of Libya, in addition to issues of international police cooperation.

Bashagha toured the HQ of the INTERPOL and was acquainted with the strict professional and high-tech work system of the organization.

At the conclusion of the visit, the INTERPOL's chief expressed the organization's readiness to provide technical assistance and training means and programs to Libya in the fight against terrorism, as well barometric technology for the passport, nationality, and identity departments.

He also stressed readiness to provide technical assistance on issues of illegal migration, which have caused heavy strain to the Libyan state at the political, economic, and social levels, according to the Media office of the Libyan Interior Ministry.