International Conference on border management

On 23-24 May 2007, the 15^th Plenary Session of the International Frontier Conference took place in the city of Balatonalmadi, Hungary. The international even was attended by top executives of state authoritites responsible for border surveillance and control, including General Director of the Border Guard Service of Moldova, Brigadier General Igor Kolenov, as well as international organisations.

The principal issues discussed at the forum concerned development of the activities by the International Frontier Conference. Specifically, the majority of the participants supported the idea that the Conference continues its activities in the existing format, as a cooperation forum of border guard authorities. Top officials of border guard services provided information about development and result of activities by the working groups that they head and that were organised within the framework of the Conference.

In the course of the Conference, a working meeting between senior officials of the Republic of Moldova and Hungary was held; during the meeting, various issues pertaining to current tasks and prospects of development of cooperation between the border guard authorities were discussed, and at the end of the meeting, a Protocol on Cooperation between the Border Guard Service of Moldova and the Hungarian Border Guard Service was signed.

During the work of the forum, a meeting between the General Director of the Border Guard Service and the Executive Director of the FRONTEX Agency was organised, where issues related to development of bilateral cooperation to counteract trans-border organised crime, illegal migration and other unlawful activities at the border were discussed. The parties agreed to establish cooperation that will assist gaining of important results by both parties; also, an agreement was reached concerning development, within the shortest possible time frames, of regulatory documents in that direction. Along with that, intentions were expressed to implement exchange of experiences aimed at familiarising with the activities carried out in order to establish firm bilateral relations based upon mutual trust.

The international Conference served an excellent venue to establish contacts with representatives of various border guard agencies and organisations, which will positively reflect joint efforts in the struggle against illegal trans-border phenomena and ensure border security, reinforcing cooperation and developing cooperation on common border issues.