Chisinau, 20 May 2024 - The official handover event for the delivery of equipment purchased with the financial support of the Government of the Italian Republic took place today, at the headquarters of the Border Police, as part of the project "Strengthening Capacities for Protection of Ukrainian refugees, Third-Country Nationals and Host Communities in Moldova" implemented by the International Organization for Migration in the Republic of Moldova with the aim to strengthen the coordination system for border security.

The equipment delivered today to the Border Police, worth 1,180,000 euros out of a total GIBP assistance amount of 1,337,301 euros, includes high-capacity radio repeaters for 16 TETRA locations, integrated communications equipment for 19 transport vehicles, laptops and software, in addition to the modernization of the Information System of the Operational Coordination Center (SICOC), the development and implementation of e-learning systems, and GPS monitoring systems of TETRA stations.

The event was attended by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Adrian Efros, the Ambassador of the Italian Republic to the Republic of Moldova, Lorenzo Tomassoni, the IOM Moldova's Chief of Mission, Lars Johan Lönnback, and the Head of the Border Police, Ruslan Galușca who underlined the importance of these purchases: “This project represents another step in strengthening institutional border security capabilities and ensuring better protection and inclusion for refugees. We thank the Italian people for the support and the IOM Mission for the effective implementation of the project.”

The Italian Ambassador, Lorenzo Tomassoni: “Thanks to the excellent cooperation with Interior Minister Adrian Efros, and IOM Chief of Mission Lars Johan Lönnback, and thanks to the dedication of their superlative staffs, today we can deliver to the Border Police of the Republic of Moldova high-tech radio equipment worth more than 1,180,000.00 euros funded by Italy. The commitment on the ground of the Moldovan Border Police is the commitment of a police force of a country that is a candidate for accession to the European Union. Thanks to its Border Police, Moldova is safer. Thanks to these brave men and women in uniform, the entire European Union is safer. We will continue to work together, side by side, to help defend democracy and freedom, to protect the weakest, and to ensure that Moldova and all of Europe have a bright future of peace and economic growth under the rule of law”.

Lars Johan Lönnback: “Today, thanks to the generous support of the Italian government, lOM continues to support the General Inspectorate of Border Police, in its efforts to manage security risks at the state border, while defending human dignity and well-being of migrants, advancing understanding of migration management issues and improving coordination and efficiency through tailored migration management initiatives at both policy and technical level.”

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For more information, please contact:

Riccardo Severi, Communications and Public Information Officer, IOM Moldova, rseveri@iom.int