Commission welcomes border cooperation agreement between these two countries, showing “ENP is bearing fruit”

Brussels, 21/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 21 November, Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner attended the signing, in Brussels, of an agreement between Ukraine and Moldova whereby the two neighbouring countries undertake to step up their exchange of information on the movement of goods and persons across their common border. Intensified cooperation between the two countries will improve controls on the Transnistrian section of the border, which cannot be adequately controlled on the Moldovan side at present. The European Commission believes the agreement is the result of discussions in trilateral format with the EU, and the countries' cooperation with the EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM). Signing of the agreement “shows that the ENP is bearing fruit in ways that make a real difference”, Ms Ferrero-Waldner states in a press release. “The growing effectiveness of border controls on the Ukrainian-Moldovan frontier is the direct result of the EU's work with the two countries under the European Neighbourhood Policy”, she said, also pointing out that “in a very short time since the launch of EUBAM, cooperation between Ukraine and Moldova has been transformed - bringing greater efficiency in the fight against smuggling, trafficking of human beings and illegal migration”. (hb)