Teams of policemen, border policemen and migration management officers will become more mobile, more operational, and more effective in maintaining security and public order. The capacities and resources of the subdivisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) were strengthened today by an assistance package provided by the US Government, the Government of Japan, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Council of Europe Development Bank. High-performance equipment will allow MIA’s employees to better manage borders, provide quality services to our citizens and refugees, increasing the level of security in the community.
Assistance worth a total of almost $1 million was provided through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as part of several projects aimed at strengthening Moldova’s response to the refugee crisis from Ukraine.
Minister of Internal Affairs Ana REVENCO said at the event of handing over the batch of assistance:
‘Our long-standing partners have been with us since the early days of the war in Ukraine, supporting us to resist. Today’s generous support from Japan and the UK will help the Ministry of Interior’s teams to be more mobile, more operational, more efficient, it will develop the analytical skills and responsiveness of our policemen, border policemen and colleagues in the field of migration. Ukrainians continue to fight at the cost of their lives to defend their territorial integrity, but also for the security in the European Union. We are helping Ukraine to resist, to defeat the aggression that threatens all of us by strengthening our forces.’
His Excellency, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Moldova, Mr. YAMADA Yoichiro, noted that the Republic of Moldova demonstrates, through the modus operandi of the internal affairs system when dealing with situations at risk of social destabilization, that it is a democratic state, a country that manages to maintain public order with a lot of discipline and training in peacetime.
‘I explain to foreign visitors that the streets in Moldova are safe and that you do not see policemen with heavy weapons patrolling. I feel safe in this country, just like I feel safe in my home country, Japan. We thank police officers for being courteous and flexible in ensuring the rule of law for everyone. We hope that the equipment offered by Japan to Moldova, through the IOM, will assist your work in strengthening security in accordance with democratic principles said Mr. Yamada YOICHIRO.
Consul of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Mr. Edward INGLETT, said ‘Thanks to this partnership, border management capacity in the Republic of Moldova has increased significantly this year. The UK announced an additional £10.5 million in humanitarian funding at the European Political Community Summit held in Moldova on June 1st to ensure that refugees can have here access to basic services and protection and to strengthen the national social protection system to address the needs of the most vulnerable refugees and Moldovans. We hope that this successful cooperation will continue in the next year, particularly in emergency planning, but also as international and national humanitarian and development partners continue to work on disaster risk reduction.’
In turn, head of the IOM Mission in Moldova, Mr. Lars Johan LÖNNBACK, said: ’We have been able to see the complex mission of the institutions and respond through this partnership. We have been able to analyse the increased mobility of the three agencies within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, energy security, as well as analytical capacity, especially regarding the General Inspectorate for Migration. Thank you for this very close collaboration, so that we can work together and enhance the capacities of the institutions that are so determined towards the stability of the country in this particular situation.’
