Chisinau, 26 January 2018 – EUBAM’s 29th Advisory Board Meeting welcomed the three-year extension of EUBAM’s mandate from 1 December 2017 util 30 November 2020 and the appointment of Slawomir Pichor in his capacity of the new Head of Mission. In doing so, the European Union re-confirms its commitment to assist the authorities in both the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
Chairman of the Advisory Board, European Union Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, H.E. Peter Michalko stated: “I am delighted to see EUBAM enter a new phase in its work and congratulate the new Head of Mission, Slawomir Pichor, once again on his appointment. The next few years, EUBAM will focus further on delivering technical support to the Transnistrian settlement process. Furthermore, its focus on combatting cross-border crime will continue under the new mandate as well as its assistance to the competent Moldovan and Ukrainian authorities to fully implement systems related to Integrated Border Management. They will further enable private and business travellers to smoothly travel between both countries.” Stephan Dahlgren, representative from the EU Delegation to Ukraine added that “the European Union supports the improvement works at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border crossing points for a total of EUR 10 million over the next two years. EUBAM’s assistance will help ensure implementing the joint border management of the Kurchuhan, Reni, and Palanca border crossing points.”
The new Head of EUBAM Slawomir Pichor addressed the meeting by expressing his gratitude for being given the opportunity to lead EUBAM in the beginning of the Mission’s new mandate: “I want to pay tribute to my predecessors for the great work they did and on whose achievements I will now build further. My main priorities will be to contribute to a qualitative change in the border management and to provide technical support to Transnistrian settlement process.”
Tatiana Molcean, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, noted: “Among the most important achievements in 2017, we want to highlight the establishment of the joint control points at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border Kuchurgan – Pervomaisc and Palanca – Maiaky – Udobnoe. With a view to the future, we are pleased to see there is ground to improve and extend joint border control mechanisms. We are grateful to EUBAM for the expertise provided during the development of a number of pilot-projects. Its knowledge and its role of binder between Moldova and Ukraine should be maintained.”
Serhii Saienko, Deputy Director-General, Directorate General for the European Union, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expressed a wish to see EUBAM coordinate, where relevant, actions on Integrated Border Management (IBM) with EUAM (EU Advisory Mission in Ukraine). Ukraine also welcomes the establishment of the Joint Border Crossing Point Palanca in 2017 and is looking forward to see EUBAM contribute to modernising and technically upgrading the Border Crossing Points in Kuchurgan and Reni.
The Advisory Board Meeting brought together representatives from the Foreign Ministries, border, customs and law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, the European Union Delegations to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, the European Commission, the International Organization for Migration, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and United Nations Development Programme. It will meet again in Odessa in June 2018.
