In a series of impactful meetings from 11-15 December in Ukraine, the Head of EUBAM fostered collaboration and addressed Mission’s future activities in the context of extended mandate until 30 November 2025.

During those days Slawomir Pichor held discussions with Olha Bokhonska, the Acting Director of Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry’s Department General for the EU and NATO. The talks revolved around the EUBAM extension of the mandate, that the ministry oversaw, and Mission’s support in the context of the EU integration process. It was followed by a session with Serhii Derkach, the Deputy Minister for Community, Territories, and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine.

Meetings with Ukraine’s border and customs authorities, namely with Volodymyr Nikiforenko, the First Deputy Head of the State Border Guard Service, Major General, and Vladyslav Suvorov, Deputy Head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine centered on the collaborative efforts to enhance border management capabilities with EUBAM technical assistance delivery and the implementation of the EU-UA Solidarity Lanes in the lower Danube region.

The EUBAM Head also engaged in talks with the security services and joined forces with Serhii Andrushchenko, First Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine – Head of the Antiterrorist Centre at the Security Service of Ukraine, to exchange views on cross border crime. With Yuri Marchuk, the Head of the ESBU International Relations Department and his Deputy, they focused on identifying a favorable framework for cooperation and discuss joint initiatives. Slawomir Pichor also met in Kyiv with the EUBAM implementing partner, the Chief of IOM Ukraine Alessia Schiavon.

In Odesa, he continued with a series of meetings with the high representatives of Mission’s local partners: Deputy Chief of Odesa Customs of the State Customs Service of Ukraine, Dmytro Zabavskyi, Brigadier General Yuriy Petriv, Head of the Ukraine State Border Guard Service Southern Regional Directorate, and Dmytro Radulov, Deputy Head of Odesa Regional Military Administration. Talks delved into their priorities and expectations within the scope of EUBAM’s two-year mandate extension and around the imperative need for the Mission’s support in capacity building and addressing vital issues related to border management at the Ukraine-Moldova border, where EUBAM plays a pivotal role.

According to Slawomir Pichor, EU leaders’ recent decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova means that even more robust border management and support for partners is needed. “Together, we strive to build a more secure and integrated future, emphasizing the importance of joint initiatives and technical assistance delivery in our mission for a stronger, united Europe.”