OSCE Skopje Mission Head attends border hand-over ceremony
Ambassador Carlos Pais, Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje (Alex Nitzsche/OSCE) Photo details
SKOPJE, 7 May 2004 - The Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission in Skopje, Ambassador Carlos Pais, today attended a ceremony marking the first transfer of border authority from the Defence Ministry to the Interior Ministry.
Following the ceremony in Star Dojran today, the police will officially be in charge of securing the southern part of the green border.
Defence Minister Vlado Buckovski and Interior Minister Hari Kostov were present at the event, which was jointly organized by the two Ministries. Over the next 18 months, the Western, Eastern and Northern parts of the border will also successively be transferred to the Interior Ministry.
"This is an important step forward in the further stabilization of the country," said Ambassador Pais, who represented the OSCE Secretary General, Jan Kubis, at the event.
"It is always a good sign when it is not necessary for the army to be involved in securing the border and when this task can be transferred to the police."
The Interior Ministry and the OSCE Mission jointly developed a specific curriculum and trained the 244 new border police officers. On 10 May, 335 new officers who will be in charge of securing the Eastern part of the border will start their training at the Idrizovo Police Academy.
The hand-over is in line with the Integrated Border Management Strategy developed with the assistance of the European Union and adopted by the Government, which plans the complete transfer of the border to the Interior Ministry by the end of 2005.
Following the ceremony in Star Dojran today, the police will officially be in charge of securing the southern part of the green border.
Defence Minister Vlado Buckovski and Interior Minister Hari Kostov were present at the event, which was jointly organized by the two Ministries. Over the next 18 months, the Western, Eastern and Northern parts of the border will also successively be transferred to the Interior Ministry.
"This is an important step forward in the further stabilization of the country," said Ambassador Pais, who represented the OSCE Secretary General, Jan Kubis, at the event.
"It is always a good sign when it is not necessary for the army to be involved in securing the border and when this task can be transferred to the police."
The Interior Ministry and the OSCE Mission jointly developed a specific curriculum and trained the 244 new border police officers. On 10 May, 335 new officers who will be in charge of securing the Eastern part of the border will start their training at the Idrizovo Police Academy.
The hand-over is in line with the Integrated Border Management Strategy developed with the assistance of the European Union and adopted by the Government, which plans the complete transfer of the border to the Interior Ministry by the end of 2005.