site.btaGERB Floor Leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov Meets with UK Human Trafficking Expert Anthony Steen

GERB Floor Leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov Meets with UK Human Trafficking Expert Anthony Steen

Sofia, May 20 (BTA) - GERB Floor Leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov conferred with British Ambassador in Sofia Emma Hopkins and with Anthony Steen, special advisor to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery with the UK House of Commons and Chairman of the Human Trafficking Foundation, GERB said in a press release on Saturday.

The opportunities for enhanced parliamentary cooperation in the area of combating human trafficking among parliaments of the EU Member States, Western Balkan countries, Eastern Partners and countries of Central and Southeastern Europe were discussed at the meeting.

In his capacity as Chairman of the National Assembly Public Order and Internal Security Committee, Tsvetanov pledged to organize hearings at the Committee on the measures for tackling this serious issue. A visit by Steen, planned in the coming months, will make possible appointments with prosecutors, judges, NGO representatives, health and social system officials and all stakeholders who are active in fighting and preventing human trafficking. A public discussion on the subject will be organized at the end of the British expert's visit, at which he will present his findings and recommendations as an outcome of the meetings.

Tsvetanov and Steen concurred that human trafficking is a form of modern slavery which grossly violates fundamental human rights.