Russia, Ukraine and Greece among countries of concern on State Department list

The Associated Press
06/03/05 12:01 EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) – Russia, Ukraine and Greece were among seven
countries in Europe and Eurasia deemed to be of special concern in
a State Department report released Friday on trafficking in persons.

Those countries, along with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Slovak Republic and
Uzbekistan, were among 27 nations worldwide included on a “Tier 2
watch list” in the report. That is one notch below the tier in which
nations could be subjected to U.S. sanctions.

The Tier 2 countries were described as sources, transit points or
destinations for the exploitation of men, women or children for sexual
and labor exploitation.

The report said that while the Russian government “sustained its
commitment and recognition to address trafficking, more needs to
be done.”

It praised Russia for increasing investigations and prosecutions,
but said Russia should intensify its work with non-governmental
organizations and “identify and address trafficking complicity of
public officials.”

Of Ukraine, it said the new government “is expected to respond more
effectively to institutional weaknesses and corruption, which hindered
the previous government’s anti-trafficking efforts.”

Greece was cited for failing to complete an agreement with Albania on
child protection and for inadequate results in convicting traffickers.

It said Armenia was reluctant to apply a new anti-trafficking statute
or follow through on an anti-corruption program adopted in 2004. The
Armenian government “failed to take any measures beyond issuing a
rhetorical pledge to address trafficking-related complicity.”

Azerbaijan’s anti-trafficking efforts “remained in preliminary stages
of implementation,” the report said, though it said the government’s
“recognition and acknowledgment of the problem increased” and some
progress was made.

In the Slovak Republic, the report said, victim assistance and
protection efforts were inadequate. It noted the government is
developing a national plan to combat trafficking, but said it is too
early to judge its effectiveness.

It said Uzbekistan does not meet standards for eliminating trafficking,
but is taking steps to do so, such as adopting anti-trafficking
legislation and developing a national action plan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress