New Office of EU Border Assistance Mission inaugurated in Chisinau

A new office of EU Border Assistance Mission (EU BAM) was inaugurated on Thursday, July 13 in Chisinau. The deputy minister and the minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Andrei Stratan, Director General for Foreign Affairs of the European Commission, Eneko Landburu, representatives of EU BAM and members of the diplomatic mission accredited in Chisinau participated in the event. Stratan mentioned at the festivity about “the successful cooperation” that led to extending the Mission, inclusively by opening new offices, increasing the number of international experts, as well as the significant increase of the budget. Moldova considers as positive the activity of the Mission until now, including the evaluation of the situation on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border, the recommendations regarding the improvement of the control procedures at the border, monitoring the implementation of the joint declaration of the ministers from Chisinau and Kiev, Stratan also declared. The head of Chisinau’s diplomacy also said that the control of the whole segment of Moldovan-Ukrainian border is an essential condition to the settlement of Transnistrian conflict and Moldova’s reintegration. The participation of EU to securing the border will facilitate fighting negative phenomena on the border and will create a regional security zone, and the cooperation will contribute to the development of the control abilities according to European standards, Stratan told. Eneko Landaburu declared that the inauguration of the mission is an action within the Neighbor European Policy, expressing his satisfaction with the fact that at the implementation of this project, all EU member states participate. He mentioned that the mission reached to significant results regarding border management, detecting frauds, closer cooperation between Moldovan and Ukrainian border guards. EU Border Assistance Mission started its activity on November 30, 2005, as result of a joint request of the Moldovan and Ukrainian president. The Mission will be functioning for two years.