The large number of countries represented demonstrated the high level of interest in TOEC and its global implications. Representatives from Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States attended the meeting.

TEOC has been and still remains most dominant in the countries of the former Soviet Union, followed by a varying but significant presence in many parts of Eastern Europe. In the rest of the world, TOEC’s activities differ widely based on many factors, including political and economic conditions, and ethnic links and communities. It still plays a significant role in Western Europe, Canada and the United States.

Recent successes in fighting TOEC were highlighted during the meeting, including Georgia’s enactment of a new law to fight organized crime, considered an essential effort to contain TEOC. Though a large number of cases were discussed, the most pertinent involved a notorious Georgian crime boss who was under investigation in both Georgia and Spain and who was subsequently arrested in the United Arab Emirates on the basis of an Interpol international wanted persons notice.

Project Millennium brings together specialised officers in 39 member countries. The meeting in Tbilisi was co-organized by Interpol and the Georgian Ministry of Interior.