FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

U.S. Embassy
June 6, 2005

U.S. EMBASSY ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF 2005 TRAFFICKING IN
PERSONS REPORT

June 6, 2005

On June 3, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice issued the State Department’s 2005 Trafficking in Persons Report.

As a clear sign of progress in its efforts to combat trafficking, Cyprus has been removed from the State Department’s “watch list” this year. Cyprus is currently listed as a Tier 2 country.

The report describes Cyprus as a “destination country for women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation.” According to the report, the Government of Cyprus is making significant efforts to comply with standards for the elimination of trafficking, but does not yet fully comply. The report lists a number of these efforts.

Commenting on the report, U.S. Ambassador Michael Klosson, said “I welcome the actions taken by the Government of Cyprus and the progress achieved during the past year in the battle against trafficking in persons. I look forward to continued cooperation between the United States and Cyprus on this problem that affects us all.”

The Ambassador added, “The crime of human trafficking deprives people of their most basic human rights and freedoms, and it fuels organized crime. It is a problem that cannot be ignored by the world community. To that end, we are proud to partner with Cyprus in steps to prevent trafficking, to protect its victims and to prosecute the perpetrators”.

To view this and other U.S. Department of State reports, see http://www.americanembassy.org.cy. We currently have this report posted on our web site in both Greek and Turkish. The Justice Department report on Trafficking in Persons in the United States is available at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/wetf/us_assessment_2004.pdf.