The United States will keep up its efforts in support of Bulgaria’s security, CIA Director Leon Panetta declared in Sofia.

Panetta met with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov; he has arrived on a two-day visit to Bulgaria.

“I have assured the Prime Minister that we are going to do everything possible in order to continue our good cooperation with regard to the efforts for coping with corruption and establishing greater security here in Bulgaria. I have given Prime Minister Borisov greetings from the US President Barack Obama, and have assured him of the strong support of the United States for Bulgaria and the safety and security of the Bulgarian people,” the CIA head stated commented that he had discussed a number of specific topics with the Bulgarian leaders.

“The CIA Director provided a clear support for the government’s efforts against corruption and organized crime,” said Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov after the meeting.

His words were reiterated by his Deputy, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, who revealed more details about their meeting with Leon Panetta including the fact that the CIA Director has been informed of the special police operations that the Bulgarian Interior has carried out, focusing on Operation Octopus – in which an organized crime ring led by former secret agent Aleksei Petrov was arrested in February.

“I think that the very fact that the CIA Director is in Bulgaria is a very positive testimonial to everything that our services have achieved together,” Tsvetanov said pointing out that the Cabinet has managed to execute short-term reform measures terms of delineating the responsibilities of the Interior Ministry and the State National Security Agency DANS as well as adopting key amendments to the Penal Code.

The Interior Minister emphasized what he described as increased trust on part of the CIA in Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov because “he guarantees a strong and firm political will.”

“In the last few months we have managed to regain the trust of all of Bulgaria’s Euro-Atlantic partners so that they can work alongside with their Bulgarian colleagues. The US Drugs Enforcement Administration is about to open an office in Bulgaria,” Tsvetanov said.

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