Chisinau, February 1 (Infotag). Moldova’s neighborhood with the European Union can facilitate the increase of contraband, drug traffic and illegal transit. It was said on Wednesday at a press conference, devoted to the results of the international conference on integrated border management, security increase and trade promotion after the completion of this conference in Chisinau.

British Parliament member, Chairman of the International Association for Business and Parliament (IABP) Bruce George said that criminal groups became interested in Moldova, when it became the EU’s neighbor.

“It is not excluded that in 2007 contraband to the EU through the Eastern Moldovan border will increase considerably for its further crossing of the Romanian border for delivering it to the EU countries. It will become possible, if the Moldovan-Romanian border is not guarded surely”, Bruce George said and underlined the need for providing for insistent necessity of providing the security of Moldova’s Eastern borders, particularly, the Transnistrian section of the Moldovan border.

Anatolie Donciu of the Center for Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption said that the most common border crimes are contraband and the non-payment of customs duties.

“In 2007 we prevented the most considerable attempt to export foreign currency. The matter is of $1.7 million, which sum the transgressors tried to take to Ukraine through Transnistria”, he said.

There were 33 reporteurs at the conference, they were representatives of various international institutions (OSCE, WB, IOM, EUBAM), diplomats, political leaders and independent analysts.