Readout of Secretary Napolitano's Visit to Germany

Press Release

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today traveled to Munich, Germany to join U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and her international counterparts at the G6+1 Conference of Home Affairs Ministers to discuss efforts to combat terrorism and international piracy, and ensure a more safe, secure and resilient global supply chain. The G6+1 includes representatives from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom (G6) as well as the United States.

"International security and homeland security are inextricably linked," said Secretary Napolitano. "We will continue to work with our international partners to strengthen and secure the global transportation systems upon which our nations' economies and communities rely."

Last month, the European Parliament ratified the Passenger Name Record (PNR) agreement between the United States and the European Union. PNR is an indispensible tool in our terrorism prevention efforts, and PNR data has aided nearly every high profile U.S. terrorist investigation in recent years, including New York City subway bomber Najibullah Zazi, Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, and David Headley, who was involved in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack and was planning attacks in Europe.

While in Munich, Secretary Napolitano met German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich, Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Hermann, Spanish Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz, Polish Interior Minister Jacek Cichocki, UK Home Minister Theresa May, Italian Interior Minister Anna Maria Cancellieri and French Interior Minister Manuel Valls. Secretary Napolitano also joined Attorney General Holder, Bavarian Justice Minister Beate Merk and Bavarian Interior Minister Hermann for a roundtable discussion on cybersecurity, highlighting the importance of information sharing and cooperation to address evolving cyber threats.

Secretary Napolitano will travel to Israel and Jordan on May 19-23. In Israel, Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks on the Department's collaboration with international partners to combat terrorism and facilitate trade and travel, at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, and meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and her counterparts.
In Jordan, Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks on women in security at the Columbia University Middle East Research Center and meet with King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh, and her counterparts.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.

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