​MOLDOVA AND UKRAINE CONFIRM INTENTION TO CREATE JOINT CUSTOMS STATION CUCIURGAN-PERVOMAISK

The Moldovan Government intends to organize work of the joint frontier-customs control in the Cuciurgan-Pervomaisk checkpoint on the Ukrainian part of the Transnistrian section of Moldovan-Ukranian border, said Deputy Premier, Minister for Reintegration Gheorghe Balan during his visit to the customs station at the end of the last week.

According to the Bureau for Reintegration press release, the aim of the trip was to familiarize Moldovan delegation with the checkpoint activity, the existing infrastructure, the provided services, personnel that participate in coordinating with the Ukrainian side some organization aspects of launching joint control. The press release says that in this way, the bureau will be contributing to implementing of agreements, achieved on the February 13 official meeting between Prime Minister Pavel Filip and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Groysman, as well as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

The visit also was made for implementing provisions of the protocol “On organizing joint control at the international customs station Cuciurgan-Pervomaisk, signed on November 4, 2015 at the level of customs and border agencies of Kiev and Chisinau.

The Moldovan delegation included also representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the State Chancellery, the Interior Ministry’s Border Police Department, the Customs Service. The Ukrainian side was represented by Deputy Governor of the Odessa Oblast, representatives of the State Border Service and State Tax Service.

During the visit, an agreement on consequent preparation for starting joint control, which will be conducted in several stages, was signed. Among these there are: conducting of an information campaign, monitoring the process and starting of service providing.

The Moldovan side confirmed readiness to contribute to conducting of control with the help of necessary resources and equipment, attract international partners and the EU, continue the practice of creating joint posts at other checkpoints.

According to the press release, the Ukrainian delegation expressed complete openness to fulfilling of the agreed goals, working out the procedure of demarking the entire Moldovan-Ukrainian border with synchronizing measures that should be adopted, as well as accelerate the corresponding processes and efficient solution for problems that present bilateral interest.

Technical aspects of conducting joint control will be discussed and agreed within the dialog between customs and border police of the two countries, ensuring normative, technical and infrastructure basis for the planned activities.

Informational campaigns on advantages of the joint customs station for the population and economic agents of Ukraine and Moldova, including the Transnistrian region, are planned to be launched already in the first quarter with participation of external partners.

As Infotag has already reported, authorities of the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldovan republic (PMR) have a very negative attitude to Chisinau and Kiev’s intentions to establish a joint control of the Transnistrian section of state border, maintaining that this is the continuation of measures on region’s economic blockade.