During a working visit to Greece, Minister of Internal Affairs Adrian Efros met with the Greek Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias. This meeting follows the recent visit of the Prime Minister of Moldova to Greece. It reflects both countries’ commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation at all levels.
In the context of Moldova’s European path, Minister Efros acknowledged Greece’s support for the expansion of the European Union, a vision established at the Thessaloniki Summit in 2003.
Regarding bilateral cooperation, Efros highlighted Moldova’s upcoming accession to the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM) in January 2024. As part of this commitment, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (GIES) has sent two teams of firefighters this summer to help combat the devastating fires in Greece.
At the same time, the official expressed appreciation for the GIES teams’ participation in MODEX exercises scheduled to take place in Bulgaria, Latvia, Moldova, Portugal, and Germany over the next two years. It demonstrates our country’s commitment to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. For Moldovan citizens, participation in the EUCPM means significantly reduced response times to emergencies, minimized material damage, and safer conditions for economic development.
During the discussion, Minister Efros highlighted the priorities and needs for strengthening GIES’s capabilities in Moldova. He noted that the EU Civil Protection Mechanism could help address these needs. These include supporting the accreditation of the USAR Moldova team according to INSARAG standards through training, experience exchange, and equipment provision. Additionally, there is a need to exchange standard operating procedures for international intervention modules, such as USAR (urban search and rescue), GFFFV (ground forest fire fighting with vehicles), and HCP (high-capacity water pumping).
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The improvement of regulations and procedures for organizing and executing module activities, including on-site staff training, mobilization during exercises and emergencies, and certification procedures, are also essential. Implementing a national early warning system and sharing best practices for preventing emergencies and exceptional situations among the population are important goals. Finally, enhancing institutional expertise in disaster prevention is crucial.
The meeting concluded with the ministers reaffirming their commitment to strengthen bilateral ties and intensify cooperation for civil protection and emergency response.
We remind you that from July 16 to August 15, the firefighting team from Moldova participates in the pre-positioning mission under the European Forest Fire Pre-positioning Program in the Nea Makri region of Greece. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism organizes this program to reduce response times for forest fires, monitor and extinguish outbreaks in locations specified by local forces, and improve interoperability among intervention teams.
The European Union funds the program, with Moldova covering part of the costs, and the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) manages it. The main goal is to enhance response capacity and cooperation among intervention teams from different European countries.
