On November 12-13, Deputy Minister for Social Policy of Ukraine Lidia Drozdova paid a working visit to the U.S. to hold Ukrainian-American consultations on combatting human trafficking and discuss the social issues of mutual concern.
The delegation also included Director of the Bureau on Combatting Trafficking in Persons of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine Ivan Bashta and a representative of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine to the Ukrainian Mission to the UN in New York Vitaliy Kasap.
While in Washington DC, Lidia Drozdova met Co-Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, Special Representative on Human Trafficking for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, U.S. Congressman Christopher H. Smith, Acting Associate Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs of the U.S. Department of Labor Eric Biel, Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons of the U.S. State Department Luis CdeBaca, Executive Director, Institute for Women, Peace and Security, US Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues (’09-‘13) Melanne Verveer, as well as the representatives of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Social Security, American NGOs «Airline Ambassadors» and «Polaris Project».
The sides discussed Ukrainian-American cooperation in the sphere of combatting human trafficking, including Ukraine’s efforts in this sphere with due regard to relevant recommendations reflected in the 2013 U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons Report.
It was also agreed to consider possible steps to prepare and sign bilateral agreements in the field of combating human trafficking, social and pension spheres.
In the photo: Deputy Minister for Social Policy of Ukraine L.Drozdova, Executive Director, Institute for Women, Peace and Security, US Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues (’09-‘13) M.Verveer, and Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S. O.Motsyk