The Advisory Board of the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) welcomes the efforts made to open the recently built Palanca/Majaki-Udobne border crossing. The border guard and customs authorities of Moldovan and Ukraine are encouraged to benefit from this opportunity and in order to improve cross-border traffic flow and security. This was stated following the 32nd meeting of the EUBAM Advisory Board, which took place today in Odessa, Ukraine.

The meeting was held to take stock of the progress made by EUBAM in carrying out its current mandate during November 2018 – May 2019.

EUBAM Head Sławomir Pichor told a press conference that the significant achievements made by partners services, with the Mission’s support, have been praised nationally and internationally. “The opening of the first crossing on the Moldova-Ukraine border built specifically for joint checks, the new confidence-building initiatives, and also the creation of a regional interinstitutional analytical group to assess risks and threats in Odessa Oblast makes us confident that we will continue together this complex, yet so important and satisfying activity and expand our list of achievements”, stated Sławomir Pichor.

Peter Michalko, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Moldova, said EUBAM is an essential partner for the relevant authorities in Moldova and Ukraine. The Mission made progress in all three key areas of its mandate: provision of technical assistance in the Transnistrian settlement; implementation of the EU concept of integrated border management along the Moldova-Ukraine border; and support to law enforcement agents in fighting transborder crime. “In the future EUBAM will continue to provide assistance to partners to make further progress in carrying out joint border control building on the previous successful examples of establishing joint border crossings. In this regard, the ultimate goal is to provide more comfort and safety to travelers and haulers”, said the ambassador.

EUBAM was launched in 2005. The Mission promotes border control, customs and trade norms and practices that meet European Union standards, and serve the needs of the two partner countries. The current Mission’s mandate is valid until 30 November 2020.