site.btaBulgaria and UK Deepen Cooperation in Security and Law Enforcement

Bulgaria and UK Deepen Cooperation in Security and Law Enforcement

London, November 6 (BTA) - Bulgarian Interior Minister Roumyana
Buchvarova met with British Home Secretary Theresa May in London
 during a working visit to the UK, the Bulgarian government's
press service said on Friday.

May gave high marks for the good cooperation between the UK and
Bulgaria in the field of security and law enforcement. She and
Buchvarova discussed the migration crisis in the EU, further
joint efforts against organized crime at the national level and
within the EU, the suppression of terrorism, and ways to raise
the efficiency of the national security services.

"Our cooperation with the partner services is not only producing
 direct results, it is also helping us improve our performance
level and the skills of our Interior Ministry officers while
keeping abreast of global processes," Buchvarova said.

The two officials discussed the reforms in the home affairs
systems of Bulgaria and the UK, a topical issue for both
countries. May shared her country's hard-gained positive
experience with her guest and stressed the need to transform the
 security services of the UK and Europe in order to match
contemporary challenges. The Home Secretary added that the types
 of crime which law enforcers have to deal with nowadays in
order to ensure the security of citizens are different from
those in the past and this calls for reforms. She underscored
the important role of new technology in making police work more
efficient.

Buchvarova's visit focused on the British security services and
the possibility of adapting their successful models to
Bulgaria's own needs. The guest got acquainted with the role of
the UK National Security Council in identifying national
security threats and coordinating inter-agency actions.

During her visit, the Bulgarian Interior Minister also met with
the British Prime Minister's National Security Adviser, Sir Mark
 Lyall Grant, with National Crime Agency Director General Keith
Bristow and other high-ranking security officials.

At the National Crime Agency, Buchvarova discussed good
practices and current measures taken by the UK to combat
terrorism and organized crime and opportunities to deepen
cooperation between the law enforcement services of the two
countries.

British Ambassador to Bulgaria Emma Hopkins, who also attended
the meetings, pointed to the difficult task of the Bulgarian
Interior Minister and her team to deal with the migratory
pressure and protect national security. During a meeting at the
Foreign Office, Hopkins observed that Buchvarova is committed to
 addressing these major challenges and has a reform agenda which
 she presented during her talks in London. "The meetings
underlined the comprehensive nature of the relations between
Britain and Bulgaria," the Ambassador said.

Buchvarova also met with Minister of State for Europe David
Lidington to discuss current processes in the EU. Lidington
updated the guest on the UK's position on renegotiating its EU
membership.

Buchvarova is further scheduled to hold meetings in the offices
of the London police and the Government Digital Service.