Brussels, 19/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - During his visit to Kiev (the Ukraine) on Tuesday, EU High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, handed Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko a letter informing him of the EU's decision to help build capacity for border and customs management on the border between the Ukraine and Moldova. A copy of the letter was sent to the President of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin, in the diplomatic bag. Jointly signed by Javier Solana and the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, the letter explains that the EU is intending to send a joint Commission-Secretariat fact-finding mission to review the situation in the border area itself and prepare for the EU's involvement. The mission will be led by Dutch national Adriaan Jacobovits de Szeged, EU Special Representative for Moldova, whose team will be upgraded.
In a letter dated 2 June 2005, Yuschenko and Voronin formally requested the EU's assistance in capacity building for overall border and customs management; and in the creation of an international customs control arrangement and an effective border monitoring mechanism, in particular ion the Transnistrian segment of the Ukrainian-Moldovan border. In addition, the letter requested the EU's support for the demarcation of the Ukrainian-Moldovan border and for upgrading the infrastructure of the checkpoints along the border.
During his visit to Kiev, Solana also discussed preparations for the EU-Ukraine Summit to be held in October 2005. On Tuesday evening, Solana left Kiev to travel to Belgrade.