Mary Akopian took part in the VII meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Committee
European colleagues noted the progress in the implementation of the Association Agreement and positively assessed the achievement of the objectives of the Agreement in 5 years.
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Mary Akopian, as part of the Ukrainian delegation, informed the EU side about the measures taken by the Ministry of Internal Affairs to implement the Law of Ukraine “On National Security”, in particular on the development of the Strategy of Public Security and Civil Protection. She spoke about the main achievements and priority directions of the development of the Ministry of Internal Affairs system, including the implementation of the projects “Safe Childhood” and “Community Police Officer”, the fight against domestic violence and the implementation of the “Custodu records” system.
The Deputy Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs noted the result of practical cooperation with the EU Advisory Mission in the process of reforming the civil security sector, in particular the inclusion of the National Guard in the mission's mandate, as well as the work of the regional office in Mariupol.
During the meeting, the issue of the artificially created migration crisis on the border between the EU and the Republic of Belarus could not be ignored.
“Today, we understand better than ever that migration and border management is a key element of security infrastructure. That is why we strive to strengthen cooperation with the EU in the field of migration and security,” said Mary Akopian.
The Deputy Minister also outlined additional measures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure security at the Ukrainian-Belarusian border and the importance of Ukraine's accession to the European Migration Network.
“We are interested in expanding cooperation with the EU Border and Coast Guard Agency, in particular on participation in joint operations, introduction of a common risk analysis model, cooperation with Frontex advanced technology center,” she said.
The EU side positively appreciated the development of cooperation with Europol, the EU Agency for the Training of Law Enforcement Officers CEPOL.
Thanks to a working agreement with CEPOL, more than 400 Ukrainian law enforcement officers have gained access to the CEPOL LEED educational platform. Most of them have successfully completed training courses and obtained international certificates.
“I thank the international partners for their readiness to further expand cooperation in the various areas covered by the Agreement. There is a lot of work ahead. It will continue,” said Mary Akopian.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
PHOTO Andriy Novytskyi
