It is important for us to receive and respond to information on time, - Denis Monastyrsky
This was emphasized today, September 27, by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine during a meeting with representatives of the foreign delegation, which was headed by the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Ilkka Salmi. The participants discussed a number of issues, including combating illegal arms trafficking, investigating war crimes committed by the Russian Federation, strengthening law enforcement cooperation between the EU and Ukraine, etc.
At the beginning, Denis Monastyrsky recalled that with the beginning of the war, the functions of the structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs system changed significantly and expanded. Today, they make up one fourth of the defense forces that repel the armed aggression of the Russian Federation.
“If before the war, the functions of border guards included border protection, combating smuggling of goods, now they stand to protect the borders that the enemy fires daily. Employees of the National Police serve at checkpoints, participate in hostilities and demining territories. The National Guards, who previously helped the force block in ensuring public order, today defend the borders of the Motherland with weapons in hand, clean up de-occupied settlements, and protect critical infrastructure facilities. In particular, nuclear power plants,” the minister said.
EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Ilkka Salmi agreed that the issues of combating crime and the threat of terrorism, the fight against illegal arms trafficking, the investigation of war crimes committed by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine must be solved by joint efforts. And it is the cooperation of the EU with Ukraine that can give a decent result.
“I would like to note the bravery and courage of Ukrainians, who in an unprecedented war defend freedom and independence, our common European values, so we will support you as much as necessary. We know about the harsh crimes committed by the Russian military, and are ready to help in order to bring the perpetrators to justice and not leave them unpunished,” said Ilkka Salmi.
Discussing the issue of strengthening cooperation with the EU, Denis Monastyrsky proposed to optimize contacts and regularly hold working meetings, including online:
“We have communication with Europol, but cooperation in matters related to terrorism and arms circulation must be strengthened. It is important for us to receive and respond to information in a timely manner if we expect an effective result.”
During the dialogue, the participants noted the high level of cooperation of the National Police of Ukraine with Europol, in particular active participation in the EMPACT operational program, stressed the readiness to strengthen cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, in particular, expressed readiness to start negotiations on the conclusion of the Agreement on the Status of Representatives.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
