“Opening of the European Union’s Border Assistance Mission to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine”

November 23, 2005.

    30 November 2005, 18:30, Odessa, Ukraine
    The European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Dr. Javier Solana and the European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Dr. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, have the pleasure to invite media representatives to a press conference and the opening ceremony of the European Unions’s Border Assistance Mission to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.
    The press conference and opening ceremony will take place at the Operational Headquarters of the EU Border Assistance Mission in Odessa, 13 Uyutnaya Street, on Wednesday, 30 November 2005, 18:30 pm in the presence of the Foreign Minister of Ukraine B. Tarasyuk, and the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Moldova A. Stratan.
    Accreditation with Mrs Iryna Stadniychuk, EC Delegation, Kyiv, Tel: +38 (044) 253 30 20 or iryna.stadniychuk@cec.eu.int
    TV and photo opportunities: Visual media will have the opportunity to picture the ribbon cutting, EU border staff, EU border cars and the premises of the Operational Headquarter.
    Background:
    The official launch of the Mission follows the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Mission on 7 October 2005 by European Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Moldova Stratan and Foreign Minister of Ukraine Tarasyuk.
    The mission, comprising 69 core staff (including 50 national staff seconded from 15 EU Member States) as well as some 50 local support staff, will help enhance the capacities of Moldovan and Ukrainia! n border and customs services to adequately ensure customs and border controls and border surveillance along their common border, with a particular focus on the Transnistrian section, including through on-the-job training. It is hoped that improving co operation between the two countries on border issues can also help create the right climate for settlement of the conflict in Transnistria. The Mission is financed for its first six-month period of operation from the European Commission’s Rapid Reaction Mechanism (RRM) programme for Ђ4 million, with the United Nations Development Programme as implementing partner. The mission’s continuation for a further eighteen months will be ensured through the EC Tacis Programme
    The Mission will work hand in hand with the enhanced team of the EU Special Representative for Moldova, Ambassador Adriaan Jacobovits de Szйged.
    For further information please contact Ms Anje Schubert, Press Officer, Tel (044) 253 30 20.