Newsroom
Azerbaijani border guards complete training at Polish academy
WARSAW 16 September 2003
WARSAW, 16 September 2003 - A group of 15 border guards from Azerbaijan have completed a one-year training programme at the Polish Border Guard Academy in Ketrzyn.
The programme was initiated and sponsored by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) as part of its assistance towards reforming the Azerbaijani border system.
"This is a very special day for all of us", said Jerzy Mazurek, Under-Secretary of State at the Polish Interior Ministry, at the graduation ceremony held last Friday. "For the first time in the history of Poland, border guards from another country are graduating from the Polish Border Guard Academy."
The Azerbaijani border guards, including five women, went to Poland following a three-month selection process at home. Having completed an intensive training programme to improve their professional skills and become familiar with relevant human rights standards, they are about to return home with the rank of lieutenant, where they are expected to fill high-ranking positions in the Azerbaijani Border Service and to pass on their knowledge to the next generation of recruits.
"The Azerbaijani Border Service is facing numerous challenges, including the fight against international crime, drug trafficking and international terrorism," said Colonel Asif Jabrailov, Deputy Commandant of the Azerbaijani Border Service. "International co-operation, such as that which has been established between the border services of Azerbaijan and Poland is crucial for resolving these problems efficiently."
With its assistance programmes, the OSCE/ODIHR promotes a more efficient and humane approach to border management that, at the same time, ensures border security and the appropriate treatment of individuals leaving or entering a country in accordance with human rights standards.
The programme was initiated and sponsored by the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) as part of its assistance towards reforming the Azerbaijani border system.
"This is a very special day for all of us", said Jerzy Mazurek, Under-Secretary of State at the Polish Interior Ministry, at the graduation ceremony held last Friday. "For the first time in the history of Poland, border guards from another country are graduating from the Polish Border Guard Academy."
The Azerbaijani border guards, including five women, went to Poland following a three-month selection process at home. Having completed an intensive training programme to improve their professional skills and become familiar with relevant human rights standards, they are about to return home with the rank of lieutenant, where they are expected to fill high-ranking positions in the Azerbaijani Border Service and to pass on their knowledge to the next generation of recruits.
"The Azerbaijani Border Service is facing numerous challenges, including the fight against international crime, drug trafficking and international terrorism," said Colonel Asif Jabrailov, Deputy Commandant of the Azerbaijani Border Service. "International co-operation, such as that which has been established between the border services of Azerbaijan and Poland is crucial for resolving these problems efficiently."
With its assistance programmes, the OSCE/ODIHR promotes a more efficient and humane approach to border management that, at the same time, ensures border security and the appropriate treatment of individuals leaving or entering a country in accordance with human rights standards.