site.btaInterior Minister Marinov Confers with Afghan Minister for Refugees

February 21 (BTA) - Interior Minister Mladen Marinov
conferred here on Thursday with Afghan Minister for Refugees and
 Repatriations Sayed Hussain Alimi Balkhi on the sidelines of
the sixth Budapest Process ministerial conference.

Marinov reaffirmed Bulgaria's support for peace and stability in
 Afghanistan and its ongoing assistance. He presented the
migration situation in the country, underscoring that Afghan
nationals are at the fore in terms of the number of asylum
applications. Marinov noted the good cooperation with the
Afghanistan Embassy in Bulgaria in issuing documents for those
who are willing to return to their native country. He voiced
hope that this cooperation will be stepped up so that Afghan
nationals whose stay has expired are able to return to their
country.

Marinov expressed Bulgaria's readiness to hold another training
for Afghan police officers in 2019.

For his part Minister Balkhi thanked for Bulgaria's support. He
said that Afghanistan prioritizes efforts against human
trafficking and reconfirmed his country's readiness to cooperate
 on migration management projects. Balkhi noted the significance
 of the Joint Way Forward on migration issues, a political
document signed between Afghanistan and the EU, and designated a
 point of contact to facilitate cooperation with the Afghanistan
 Embassy in issuing of documents.

In another meeting Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu
thanked his Bulgarian counterpart for his participation in the
forum.

Soylu and Marinov gave highs marks to bilateral cooperation in
the fight against crime and border protection. Marinov said that
 he regularly briefs his EU counterparts about the excellent
cooperation with the Turkish authorities in border protection
and against drug trafficking. RY/PP


/СН/