On 12 September 2019, Deputy State Secretary for European Union and International Affairs, and National Coordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Mátyás Hegyaljai welcomed Marc D. Dillard, the newly appointed Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy in Budapest.
At the meeting, the parties reaffirmed the importance of maintaining excellent relations between Hungary and the United States and of continuing cooperation in the areas of competence of the Ministry of the Interior.
Deputy Chief of Mission Marc D. Dillard stressed that combating trafficking in human beings is a high priority for the United States and offered the embassy’s support in the implementation of the recommendations listed in the State Department’s 2019 Trafficking in Persons report. He mentioned the need for proactive victim identification and assistance, as well as the importance of recognizing not only challenges but also Hungarian successes in the fight against trafficking.
Deputy State Secretary Mátyás Hegyaljai informed the guests about recent progress in the fight against human trafficking, taking into account the recommendations made in the report, as well as about the steps to be taken in the near future. The Deputy State Secretary expressed his hope that our efforts will be appropriately reflected in next year’s evaluation.
The parties agreed that the Ministry of Interior and the U.S. Embassy will work more closely together in the future to make domestic action against human trafficking more effective.