site.btaSofia Hosts International Forum on Fighting Human Trafficking in Southeastern Europe

Sofia, June 1 (BTA) - A two-day international forum on "The Western Balkans and the European Union: Systems for Combating Human Trafficking in Southeastern Europe within the Context of the Pre-accession Process" was opened in Sofia on Thursday. It is organized by the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in partnership with the Vienna-based International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation Bulgaria. The event is on the official programme of the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council.

"Trafficking in human beings is a grave violation of human rights and a serious personal offence. This is precisely why the European agenda requires targeted measures for combating this trafficking and joint efforts to ensure the security of our peoples," Bulgarian Deputy Justice Minister Nikolai Prodanov said, addressing the forum at its opening, quoted by his Ministry in a press release.

The Deputy Minister recalled that tackling organized crime and trafficking in human beings is a key criterion laid down in the recently adopted European Commission Strategy for ' A credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkans'. Prodanov noted that last year Bulgaria doubled its capacity for providing specialized support to victims of trafficking.

Before the forum, the Deputy Justice Minister held a working minister with the EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, Dr Maria Vassiliadou. They discussed support and reintegration of trafficking victims and the activity of the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings.