UK Minister for Europe Leo Docherty accepted an invitation from Bulgaria's caretaker Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev to join a working group with Europol which is taking shape in Bulgaria at Demerdzhiev's proposal to coordinate the fight against trafficking in migrants, the Interior Ministry reported on Thursday, covering a visit by Docherty to Bulgaria.
Demerdzhiev briefed the guest on the migration situation and Bulgaria's intensified cooperation with the European Commission and the EU member states for effective management of the bloc's external border.
The two officials expressed their high opinion of Bulgaria's cooperation with the UK in the field of internal affairs, which continues to develop positively and retains its strategic importance after Brexit. They concurred that the two countries are confronted by similar challenges which call for more active information sharing and coordination to counter illegal migration and migrant trafficking more effectively.
The UK Embassy in Sofia said that Docherty's visit "is a demonstration of solidarity with Bulgaria in its efforts to support Ukraine and our shared work with international partners to hold Russia to account."
The guest is also expected to talk with Foreign Minister Nikolay Milkov and Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov.
/RY/
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