Chisinau - 16 June. The teams of police officers, border police officers and officers involved in migration management will increase their mobility, operational capacity, and will become faster, and more efficient in maintaining security and public order. The assistance to the value of almost US$1 million provided through the agency of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) contains vehicles, generators, contraband toolkits, modular containers. The assistance, offered by the U.S. Government, the Government of Japan, the Government of the UK, and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) constitutes a part of a number of projects to strengthen Moldova's response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis. 

At the handover event, Minister of Internal Affairs, Ana Revenco, stated:
“Since the first days of war in Ukraine, the traditional partners have stood by Moldova and helped it to resist. The support offered today with generosity by Japan and the UK will help the teams of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) to become more mobile, faster and more efficient, to develop the analytical component and the response capacities of the police officers, border police and our mates from the migration sector. Ukraine continues fighting at the cost of life to defend its territorial integrity and security in the European Union. By combining forces, we help Ukraine resist and beat the aggression that threats us all”. 

Japan’s Ambassador to Moldova, Yoichiro Yamada said that “Maintaining public order requires considerable discipline and training in the best of circumstances. Doing so at a time when a war is raging in the neighboring country and a hybrid war in your own country is considerably more difficult. I hope our contribution of equipment through IOM to the Republic of Moldova will help you in your work to consolidate safety within the framework of democracy. Working with the Internal Ministry of the Republic of Moldova gives me a sense of pride, joy, deep respect, and gratitude,” stated the official.

Edward Inglett, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Chisinau, said that owing to this partnership, Moldova’s capacity to manage borders has improved significantly this year. “At the European Political Community summit here on 1 June, the UK announced a further £10.5m in humanitarian funding to ensure refugees here can access basic services and protection and strengthen the national social protection system to meet the needs of the most vulnerable people, refugees, and Moldovan people. We hope to continue to see the effective cooperation over the coming year, particularly in contingency planning, but also as international and national humanitarian and development partners continue to work on disaster risk reduction, stated the British official.”

IOM Moldova's Chief of Mission, Lars Johan Lönnback:
 “We have been able to look at the complex mission of the Agencies and to respond with this partnership. We have been able to look at the increased mobility of the three Agencies under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the energy security as well as the analytical capacity, especially with regards to the General Inspectorate for Migration. Thank you for this very close collaboration to be able to work together, and to increase the capacities of the Agencies that are so determined for the stability of the country in this particular situation.” 
 
Lars Johan Lönnback, delivered the CEB’s message. “It is an honor for the CEB to swiftly mobilize, following the launch of the Russian aggression against Ukraine last February, €500,000 in grant funding from its fund for migrants and refugees to respond to the immediate needs of the refugees and to strengthen Moldovan authorities’ capacities to cope with the influx of refugee. The assistance provided to refugees, migrants and displaced persons is one of the CEB’s statutory priorities since its founding in 1956,” says the CEB’s message.

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For more information, please contact: 
Riccardo Severi, Project Officer - Media and Communications, IOM Moldova 
rseveri@iom.int