EUBAM today donated six vehicles to Moldova’s General Border Police Inspectorate and Customs Service to enable increased operational mobility and patrolling capabilities. The vehicles, formerly used by EUBAM, are capable of operating in all terrain conditions, thereby improving the capacity of both services to conduct patrols and operations along the whole of its border all year round.
Handing over the vehicles, Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, Head of EUBAM, welcomed the handover as “a sign of increasing ownership of EUBAM-led initiatives by our Moldovan partners. Both the General Border Police Inspectorate and Customs Service have introduced new, innovative approaches in recent years, including joint mobile patrols, and I am sure these vehicles will enable the expansion of these modern border management practices.”
Receiving the vehicles, Head of Moldova’s General Border Police Inspectorate, Mr. Fredolin Lecari, expressed gratitude to EUBAM for its sustainable support in institutional capacity building initiatives, claiming that any investment in the border security system is justified and needed. “The donation of the three vehicles shall undoubtedly contribute to streamlining our activities in preventing and combating cross-border crime, but also acknowledges the joint efforts towards increasing mobility of the Border Police and delivery of quality, operative services at the border.”
In his acceptance of the vehicles, Head of Moldova’s Customs Service, Mr. Vitalie Vrabie, thanked EUBAM for supporting the efforts of the Customs Service in making their work efficient, expressing confidence that, “This equipment shall contribute significantly to the increase of operational and intervention capacities of the specialised subdivisions of the two authorities during the surveillance and control missions performed.”
Marco Gemmer, Deputy Head of the Operations Section of the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, highlighted the fact that “today’s event is a token of the European Union’s continued support to border management and customs services as they deliver crucial support to the citizens on both sides of the border. These additional vehicles will further improve the quality of the assistance they deliver”.
Antonio Polosa, Chief of the International Organization for Migration’s Mission to the Republic of Moldova, and the implementing partner of EUBAM, welcomed the handover, noting that “the deployment of these vehicles will add valuable capacity to the task of effectively managing Moldova’s borders”.
The handover ceremony was held at the Headquarters of Moldova’s Border Police Department. EUBAM handed over eight vehicles to its Moldovan partners in June 2016 as part of its handover and sustainability strategy. The Mission continues to advise Border Police and Customs Officers at the Moldova-Ukraine border on a daily basis on border controls, customs procedures, risk analysis and measures to combat cross-border crime.
