Mr Slaughter said cross-border crime was an area in which there was "little controversy on the principle".

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China's foreign ministry said the case highlighted its determination to tackle cross-border crime.

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The minister also said the closures will have no impact on the fight against cross-border crime in all its forms.

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Before conference organizers closed the doors to the fourth annual meeting of the Canada-U.S. Cross-Border Crime Forum, officials stressed cooperation.

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The SAA allows for greater links between the EU and Serbia in areas such as trade and on tackling cross-border crime.

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In March 2007 the Beijing regulator agreed to act on requests from Hong Kong for information related to investigations of regulatory breaches and cross-border crime.

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"I think an important message that this case sends is that it shows the determination of China and the governments of relevant countries to work hard together to combat cross-border crime, " Hua Chunying spokesman for China's foreign ministry said.

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Made up initially of one prosecutor from each member state, Eurojust is seen by pro-integrationists as the start of a joint European prosecution service - just as they regard Europol, which co-ordinates investigations of cross-border crime, as the first step towards a European police force.

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Police and customs officers from Northern Ireland have taken part in a major cross-border operation against fuel laundering and organised crime.

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