Moldova and Ukraine are completing the legal procedures required for asking for the extension of the EUBAM Mission’s mandate that expires next year. The information was made public in a news conference after the 23rd meeting of the Coordination Desk of the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine, IPN reports.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Iulian Groza said such a mission is needed and the sides will take all the necessary measures to ask the EU to extend its’ mandate. The EU is ready to increase the presence of the EUBAM in Moldova by opening an office of the Mission in Chisinau. Thus, the population will know more about its activities. The EUBAM is probably the most successful activity of the EU in Moldova and Ukraine.

Volodymyr Bachynsky, head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Coordination Desk, said both of the sides want the Mission’s mandate that expires on December 1, 2005 to be extended and will thus make the necessary approaches. The successful activities of the Mission inspire confidence that the extension of the mandate for another four years will have a positive effect.

Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Pirkka Tapiola said the EUBAM Mission will try to find solutions so that the Moldovans from both sides of the Nistru River benefit from the DCFTA between Moldova and the EU.

The meeting also discussed the possibility of the EUBAM helping to identify solutions to different problems existing between Chisinau and Tiraspol.

EUBAM Head Francesco Bastagli said the Mission will devote less attention to the development of the bilateral relations between Moldova and Ukraine and will center on the provision of assistance in increasing security at the border so that the countries are able to cope with the challenges when the Mission’s mandate expires.

Jan Tombinski, Head of the EU Delegation in Kiev and chair of the meeting that was held in Chisinau, said that significant progress was made in demarcating the Moldova-Ukrainian border. Only a short segment remained non-demarcated yet, but the process will most probably be finished after the October meeting of the joint group on demarcation.

The EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) was launched at the joint request of the Presidents of Moldova and Ukraine. The Mission provides on-the-job training and advice to Moldovan and Ukrainian border officials, reinforcing their capacity to carry out effective border and customs controls and border surveillance.