FBI officers will be coming to work together with Bulgarian counterparts on cyber crime in 2012, which becomes also a priority with the work of this government, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetaniov said emerging from a meeting in Sofia between Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and FBI Director Robert Mueller.

Mueller’s visit to Sofia was within the framework of a tour of the region, which included also Bucharest. This has been the third US special services director to come to Sofia on a visit after CIA chief Leon Panetta and Secret Service Head Mark Sullivan.

After the talks the head of the Bulgarian government said the US official had spoken highly of bilateral cooperation on organized cross-border crime. In 2012 Washington will open a permanent office of its Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Sofia.

More than a month ago Interior Minister Tsvetanov paid a visit to the United States, and brought back the news of the establishment of the joint operation in Sofia to counter child pornography, identity theft and financial fraud on the Internet. The FBI Director said Bulgaria was a reliable and strategic partner, Tsvetanov said after the talks in Sofia.