site.btaBulgaria, Switzerland Sign Agreement on Police Cooperation

Sofia, January 26 (BTA) - A Bulgarian-Swiss agreement on police cooperation was signed Friday by Interior Minister Valentin Radev and the Head of the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police, Simonetta Sommaruga.

The agreement aims to strengthen police cooperation in the two countries efforts to prevent threats to public security and to fight all forms of crime.

Federal Councillor Sommaruga said the agreement showed that cooperation had been successful so far and should continue.

Radev said the two discussed Bulgaria's bid to join the Schengen area, which is supported by Switzerland. He pledged that Bulgaria would help Switzerland deal with human trafficking and the exploitation of women.

The Swiss official is on a working visit to Sofia where she attended Thursday's Informal Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting within Bulgaria's EU Presidency.