(NOUAKCHOTT) - Interior ministers from Mediterranean and African countries agreed Thursday to step up the fight against terrorism and organised crime, at talks in the Mauritanian capital.

Neighbours of Maghreb nations have in particular been worried by militant attacks in Algeria while in neighbouring Morocco, authorities this week announced the arrest of 11 Al-Qaeda linked suspects allegedly planning an attack in Belgium.

Mauritanian minister Mohamed Noctar Hassen said his country had "taken charge of this new phenomenon" and hoped the group could bring an "effective contribution to meeting this threat".

Algerian minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni also said that in light of the threat, Algeria had decided to double the funding of national security to four billion euros.

Ministers and top officials from France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania and Malta took part in the meeting, which also approved a French proposal to set up a central body to investigate drug trafficking in the Mediterranean region.

The ministers were also to discuss migration, with African nations wanting greater flexibility from Europe while European nations want to clamp down on illegal entrants.

The meeting was held as part of the Inter-governmental Conference of Interior Ministers from the Western Mediterranean.

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