2008 news archive

Officials from six countries discuss how to prevent child exploitation at conference in Chisinau

March 13, 2008

Officials from six countries join Ambassador Kirby to discuss ways to prevent child pornography, trafficking of children and sex tourism

Delegations from six countries met at the Eurasian Regional Conference against Child Exploitation to develop strategies for strengthening their ability to combat child pornography, trafficking of children and sex tourism. The conference, which was organized at the initiative of the U.S. Department of Justice and State with the support of the US Embassy in Chisinau, was held at the Republican Palace on March 10-13. Michael D. Kirby, the US Ambassador to Chisinau, addressed the opening ceremony, focusing on the serious nature of this crime and the need for both officials and individual citizens to participate in its prevention. Moldovan Prosecutor General Valeriu Gurbulea and Minister of Interior Gen. Gheorghe Papuc spoke as well. Conference delegations included law enforcement and other public officials from the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Republic of Moldova. The conference moderators were Robert Gerardi, the Resident Legal Advisor for the US Embassy and his counterpart Terry Kinney from the Russian Embassy. Eleven law enforcement officials from the Republic of Moldova were engaged in the week-long meetings. US Embassy support of the conference is consistent with its ongoing commitment to combating human trafficking in its various forms. The conference was co-hosted with the Moldovan Prosecutor General Office and Ministry of Internal Affairs.