site.btaBulgaria, US Sign Agreement on Exchange of Fingerprint, DNA in Fight against Serious Crime

Bulgaria, US Sign Agreement on Exchange of Fingerprint, DNA in Fight against Serious Crime

Washington, DC/Sofia, September 24 (BTA) - Bulgaria and the United States will exchange fingerprints and DNA profiles in the fight against serious crime under an intergovernmental agreement on the application of the Preventing and Combating Serious Crime Agreement of 2012.

The intergovernmental agreement was signed in Washington on Friday by Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova and US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, the Interior Ministry said.

The implementing arrangement envisages equal and reciprocal exchange of information - fingerprints and DNA profiles - for the prevention and investigation of serious crimes.

The Interior Ministry says the document is of considerable importance for enhancing the security and protection of the citizens of the two countries, especially in the context of preventing the travel of persons associated with terrorist activity.

The document will help the security structures of Bulgaria and the US identify potential terrorists or persons posing other threats to national security and perpetrators of other serious crimes, including human trafficking, illegal migrant trafficking and abuse of travel documents.

The document lays down the procedures for the practical application of the 2012 Agreement by detailing the terms and procedure for the exchange of fingerprints and DNA profiles.

Finalizing the agreement was a prerequisite for making progress in the Bulgaria-US talks on visa-free travel.

Buchvarova was on a working visit to the US for the 71st UN General Assembly Session in New York.