Europe Day 2021: the main achievements of the National Guard of Ukraine on the path of European integration
On May 15, Ukraine celebrates Europe Day. This holiday is a confirmation of the unity of Ukraine and Europe not only geographically, but also in spirit, history, common values, because the Ukrainian people are an integral part of the European community.
The pandemic of coronavirus infection COVID-19 has made its adjustments in many spheres of life of society and all state institutions. However, the National Guard of Ukraine, as a component of the security and defense sector of the state, continues to actively cooperate with European international organizations and similar military formations of European countries in areas of mutual interest.
The main goal of this interaction is qualitative changes and reforms in the activities of the NGU, exchange of experience with similar military formations, improvement of the material and technical base, as well as the adoption of European approaches and practices in the performance of military tasks.
In this material, we will talk about the main achievements and projects that NGU implements within the framework of European integration over the past years.
Cooperation of the NGU with the National Republican Guard of Portugal
In February 2020, a delegation of the National Guard of Ukraine, led by the commander of the NGU, Colonel-General Mykola Balan, paid a visit to the Portuguese Republic in order to get acquainted with the activities, main tasks and functions of the National Republican Guard of Portugal, as well as to discuss issues related to the launch bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
During the visit, there was a meeting at the General Command of the National Republican Guard of Portugal with the Commander-in-Chief of the National Republican Guard of Portugal Lieutenant General Luis Francisco Botelho Miguel with the participation of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Portugal Ms. Inna Ognenets.
In particular, an agreement was discussed and reached to initiate cooperation between the National Guard of Ukraine and the National Republican Guard of Portugal in various areas:
- exchange of experience on training and training of personnel;
- organizing and ensuring the protection of public order and the cessation of mass riots, including holding joint exercises;
- protection of critical infrastructure facilities and state bodies;
- activities of special purpose units (anti-terrorist);
- activities of canine units (K9);
- activities of mountain patrol units;
- organization of rehabilitation of servicemen wounded during combat missions in the area of the ATO/PLO, and members of their families in Portugal;
- organizing and conducting joint patrols in places of compact residence of Ukrainian citizens in Portugal (during the holiday season;
- holding large-scale sports or cultural events, etc.).
Cooperation of NGU with the Carabiner Troops of the Italian Republic
Within the framework of bilateral cooperation to implement the agreements reached in August 2020 during the meeting of the Ukrainian-Italian Council on Economic, Industrial and Financial Cooperation on March 30, 2021, the commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, Colonel General Mykola Balan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Guard action of Ukraine and the Carabiner Troops of the Italian Republic.
Implementation of the provisions of the Memorandum will contribute to the fulfillment of the tasks of the National Security Strategy of Ukraine on the development of the NGO, taking into account the experience of the EU Member States, strengthening its institutional capacity to fulfill the tasks assigned to it, as well as — Strategies for de-occupation and reintegration of the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Seva Stoppol as part of the preparation of the National Guard of Ukraine for the performance of the tasks.
It should be noted that during 2014-2020, the National Guard of Ukraine and the Italian Carabiner Troops cooperated within the framework of the annual Bilateral Cooperation Plan between the Italian Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In particular, the following activities were carried out:
- practical internship on working out the actions of units of the National Guard of Ukraine for the protection of public order during mass events (40 servicemen), Novi Petrivtsi, Ukraine;
- practical training of mountain training instructors of the National Guard of Ukraine (10 people) at the Center for Mountain Training of the Italian Carabiner Troops (m. Selva di Valgardena, Italian Republic). Cooperation of the NGU with the Gendarmerie of Romania
Cooperation of the NGU with the Gendarmerie of Romania
With the support of the Romanian Gendarmerie in November 2019, the 50th Regiment of the Western Operational and Territorial Union of the National Guard of Ukraine won an open competition for a grant of more than 200,000 euros (about 5.3 million UAH). The funds were allocated to the Guards as part of the Joint Operational Programme “Romania — Ukraine 2014-2020”, which is funded by the European Union through the European Neighbourhood Instrument.
Thanks to the victory in the competition, the military unit was able to take part in four joint projects with the Gendarmerie of Romania on the theme “Prevention and fight against organized crime, cooperation of security forces”. The activities of this Program are already actively taking place in the border areas of Ukraine and districts of Romania.
The result of the successful implementation of the projects will be an increase in the effectiveness of the units of the NGU and the Gendarmerie of Romania in the joint fight against cross-border organized crime, an increase in the level of trust of the population of the border territories in law enforcement and awareness of their activities. It will also enable the study and implementation of the best European experience, will have a positive effect on improving the quality of public security tasks on both sides of the border and improve the criminogenic situation in the region as a whole.
Cooperation of NGU with the Ministry of Defense of Latvia and the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Ukraine
Cooperation between Latvian and Ukrainian defence officials to provide support to Ukrainian servicemen and their families affected by the military conflict in eastern Ukraine has been ongoing for the fourth year in a row and is supported by the Ministry of Defence of Latvia, the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Ukraine and the population of the country as a whole.
Thus, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, only last year, 3 humanitarian cargoes from the Republic of Latvia to Donetsk and Luhansk regions were organized and delivered by the soldiers of the NGU. They included both humanitarian (clothes, shoes, books, home textiles, children's things) and medical care (medicines and medical equipment). The total amount of humanitarian assistance provided for 2020 is about 50 tons, with a total cargo cost of more than 35,000 euros.
It should be noted that since the beginning of hostilities in Donbas, the Republic of Latvia has provided about 350 tons of humanitarian assistance to the victims living in the area of the PLO.
At the invitation of the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Ukraine, NGU servicemen have the opportunity to undergo a course of medical rehabilitation at the National Rehabilitation Center “Vaivari”, city of Jurmala, Latvia.
It is worth noting that for several years the National Guard of Ukraine, with the support of the Chief Chaplain of the National Armed Forces of Latvia, Mr. Elmars Plavinš, as well as in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of Latvia and the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Ukraine, has been organizing the recreation of children of the National Guard of Ukraine in Latvia Military Republic.
Thus, for children of the military personnel of the NGU, excursion trips through the cities of the Republic of Latvia are organized, containing cultural, educational and sports events, various excursions, trips to ancient castles, meeting and communication with Latvian peers.
Cooperation of NGU with the Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden
During 2017-2018, with the assistance of the Office of the Attaché on Defense of the Embassy of Sweden in Ukraine in order to develop the language training system, the National Academy of the National Guard of Ukraine provided educational literature (1007 items) for a total amount of UAH 410 thousand and equipment for a modern language laboratory for a total amount of UAH 397 thousand, where Today, intensive courses on the study of foreign languages are held.
In addition, for the needs of the Training Center of the National Guard of Ukraine (m. Zolochiv) was equipped with a modern language laboratory for a total amount of 500 thousand and transferred medical property for educational purposes (hemostatic tourniquets, personal protective equipment, medical bags, etc.) for a total amount of UAH 2 million 541 thousand.
During 2019-2020, 6 NGU servicemen were trained on the basis of the International Training Center of the Swedish Armed Forces “SWEDINT” for the training of UN Staff Officers, instructors on gender issues. All courses were subsidized by the Swedish side.
In May of this year, there was a working meeting of the command of the National Guard of Ukraine with the Head of the Department of Military Policy and Strategic Planning of the Armed Forces Command of the Kingdom of Sweden, Major General Lena Person Gerlitz. During the meeting, the needs of NGU for training special purpose units, snipers, dog handlers, engineers (sappers), divers, as well as in the field of language training, mountain training, survival in extreme conditions, gender integration, strategic communications were discussed.
Also considered is the possibility of participation of NGU servicemen in large-scale international military exercises “Aurora — 23", which will be held in the territory of the Kingdom of Sweden, in order to exchange experience on the organization of comprehensive defense (Total Defense).
Professional development, training of representatives of NGU in educational institutions (centers) of the countries of the European Union
In order to increase the institutional capacity of the National Guard of Ukraine to fulfill assigned tasks, to improve the professional training of personnel in accordance with the best world practices, representatives of the National Guard of Ukraine were trained abroad, namely:
annual training at the School of Officers of the National Gendarmerie of France in the field of ensuring public order and public safety; training of engineering and flight personnel of the aviation units of the NGU in the city of Marignan (French Republic), within the framework of the requirements of the Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the French Republic on official support in the establishment of the Unified aviation security and civil protection systems in Ukraine;
training at the higher international course of the School of Training of Officers of the Gendarmerie of Romania “Mihai Viteazul” (m.
Roșu, Romania);
practical training in the direction of preparing for the tasks of maintenance/restoration of public order in Rome (Italian Republic); In order to prepare for participation in UN peacekeeping operations, since 2014, 40 servicemen and NGU employees have been trained in peacekeeping
courses on the basis of the Center for the Improvement of Qualifications of Police Units for Stability Maintenance of CoESPU, (m. Vicenza, Italian Republic).
During 2018-2019, 5 representatives of the National Guard of Ukraine took part in the European Union project “LET4CAP”, which aims to harmonize the training of law enforcement officers in the implementation of capacity-building tasks in third countries, as well as creating a unified approach to the development of law enforcement agencies, based on fundamental values the capabilities of the European Union.
Participation of NGU in the International Association of Gendarmerie and Police Forces in the status of a military institution (FIEP)
Within the framework of the International Association of Gendarmerie and Police Forces in the status of a military institution FIEP, the National Guard of Ukraine participates on an ongoing basis in the work of commissions, working groups and other events, namely:
Annual Summit of Directors and Commanders of Association Member Structures; Commission “International Affairs”; Commission “New Technologies and Logistics”;
Commission “Organization of Service Activities”;
Commission “Human Resources”.
Cooperation of NGU with the Consultative Mission of the European Union (EUAM)
The Agreement between Ukraine and the EU on the status of the EU Advisory Mission on Reforming the Civil Security Sector of Ukraine was signed on 17 November 2014 in Brussels. The main concept of the Mission is to support and implement consultations within the framework of the reform of the civil security sector, focusing on the effectiveness of law enforcement management under democratic and legal control.
In 2020, personal protective equipment (respirators, protective masks, gloves, disinfectant solutions) in the amount of about 35 thousand dollars was transferred to the National Guard of Ukraine in the framework of cooperation with the Commission and the Canadian Police Mission in Ukraine to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. THE UNITED STATES.
Creation of a Unified Aviation Safety and Civil Protection System of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with the support of the French Government
The National Guard is actively involved in the program and under the terms of the contract will receive 12 French Airbus H-225 Super Puma helicopters. Phased production of helicopters of this type to the NGU has begun. As part of the participation in the implementation of the program, the flight and engineering and technical staff of the aviation of the National Guard of Ukraine are retrained to the EC 225 LP helicopter based on the company “Airbus Helicopters” in France and the military unit 2269 of the National Guard of Ukraine.
In early May 2021, the National Guard received the 3rd Airbus EC 225 LP helicopter. In general, the NGU plans to expand the park to 12 helicopters, which will be used to quickly move personnel over long distances to perform specified tasks, evacuate the sick and wounded, carry out search and rescue activities.
As the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov noted earlier, the Unified Aviation Security and Civil Protection System of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine will become the third most powerful in Europe after France and Germany. Ukrainian rescuers, guards and police officers will be among the first to use state-of-the-art helicopters. The main goal of this project is to provide law enforcement officers with modern equipment to perform their tasks. This project is a vivid example of effective cooperation between the European Union and Ukraine and undoubtedly a huge leap in the technical support of the units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the National Guard in particular.
Rehabilitation of participants of the anti-terrorist operation and the operation of the Joint Forces with the support of the countries of the European Union
The personnel of the NGU who suffered injuries (injuries) during the fighting in the East of Ukraine, as well as members of their families are constantly undergoing medical and psychological rehabilitation abroad.
Thus, thanks to cooperation with the Embassy of Georgia in Ukraine and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, representatives of the National Guard of Ukraine and members of their families undergo a rehabilitation course at the medical and psychological rehabilitation center of the Ministry of Defense of Georgia in the city. Tbilisi.
At the invitation of the State Service of Ukraine on the affairs of war veterans and participants of the anti-terrorist operation, NGU servicemen are engaged in a course of medical rehabilitation on the basis of the military-medical hospital “Kalaroya” (city Hisar, Republic of Bulgaria).
At the invitation of the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Ukraine, NGU servicemen undergo a course of medical rehabilitation at the National Rehabilitation Center “Vaivari”, city of Jurmala, Latvia.
It is worth noting that for several years the National Guard of Ukraine, with the support of the Chief Chaplain of the National Armed Forces of Latvia, Mr. Elmars Plavinš, as well as in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of Latvia and the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Ukraine, has been organizing the recreation of children of the National Guard of Ukraine in Latvia Military Republic.
Thus, for children of the military personnel of the NGU, excursion trips to the cities of the Republic of Latvia are organized, including cultural, educational and sports events, various excursions, trips to ancient castles, meeting and communication with Latvian peers.
The National Guard of Ukraine continues to work actively to implement the best norms and practices of similar military formations of European countries. In particular, it concerns the modernization of the regulatory and legal framework for the activities of NGU units, taking into account the main European values, among which — equality of rights and opportunities for men and women during military service.
Press Service of the National Guard
Office of International Cooperation
