Chief of the Moldovan Border Police Rosian Vasiloi met with the Deputy Executive Director of EUROPOL, Jean-Phillippe Lecouffe, on April 18, 2023, to discuss the need for effective cooperation between their institutions. The two sides emphasized the effects of the regional crisis caused by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the need for new joint mechanisms to combat cross-border crime, writes punctul.md.
Vasiloi praised the excellent cooperation with the FRONTEX agency in the field of border security and noted that integrating EUROPOL’s resources would further strengthen Moldova’s security against risk phenomena. In this regard, the parties agreed to station a group of EUROPOL officers at the Border Police headquarters to facilitate information exchange between institutions. Additionally, EUROPOL officers will be involved in Border Police activities at state border crossing points, including Chisinau International Airport, where they will support Border Police officers in combating criminal activities.
Vasiloi also reiterated the need for the involvement of all national and international actors in combating risk factors, as demonstrated by their experience in managing the crisis after February 24 and combating hybrid threats that followed.
In addition to strengthening bilateral cooperation, the parties agreed to consolidate the format of cooperation between the Border Police, National Police, and EU agencies FRONTEX and EUROPOL to fully utilize the strengths of all institutions. They also agreed to work together to translate their discussions into concrete cooperation mechanisms, both bilaterally and quadrilaterals.
The integration of EUROPOL’s resources and the cooperation between institutions are vital to combating cross-border crime and ensuring Moldova’s security against risk phenomena. The cooperation between Moldova’s Border Police and EUROPOL is a significant step forward in this regard.