site.btaInterior Minister Radev's Meetings during His Visit to US

Washington, November 16 (BTA) - Interior Minister Valentin Radev, who is a paying a visit to the U.S.A., held talks with leaders of the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and with Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke, the Interior Ministry said in a press release Thursday.

During his talks with the Acting Deputy Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Radev presented the measures undertaken by Bulgaria in the fight against human trafficking. "We are ready to continue the open and constructive dialogue with the U.S. Embassy in Sofia and to provide the necessary arguments for the removal of Bulgaria from the Tier 2 Watchlist of the U.S. Department of States' Trafficking in Persons Report," the Interior Minister said.

At the meeting with the DEA leadership, the bilateral cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking was praised. The hosts assured Radev that the U.S. will continue to provide technical assistance and training to their Bulgarian partners.

During their talks, Radev and Duke agreed that the timely exchange of quality information is of key importance for the success of the actions undertaken to prevent terrorist attacks and fight organized crime. Radev raised the matter of Bulgaria's inclusion in the United States' Visa Waver Programme. "Bulgaria has not only signed but also applied in practice all agreements on information exchange. The past year saw a drop in the percentage of rejected visa applications," the Interior Minister said.