Agreement on coordinated control at Leușeni - Albita crossing point signed

Chisinau, 9 Feb. /MOLDPRES/- Minister of Internal Affairs Ana Revenco and her counterpart from Bucharest Lucian Nicolae Bode signed today an Agreement between the Moldovan and Romanian governments on the coordinated control, on Romanian territory, at Leușeni - Albița border crossing point.

According to Ana Revenco, the coordinated control will allow reducing the waiting time at the border and will boost commercial relations between the two countries. "It is a long-awaited day. The agreement represents a new mechanism that aims to ensure the security of the Moldovan-Romanian border and respond to the needs arising from the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Coordinated control will enable the prevention of crime, terrorism and money laundering. Previously there was the problem of parking trucks at the border, and this new mechanism will allow us to manage cross-border flows efficiently. Currently, the Moldovan-Romanian teams are working to operationalize the Agreement. This document represents another firm step on the European integration agenda of the Republic of Moldova", said Ana Revenco.

Lucian Nicolae Bode said that the document will allow coordinated action at the border crossing point and will strengthen cooperation between the two states. "Today's event is very important for Romania, the Republic of Moldova and the citizens of the two countries. The signing of the Agreement will allow us to manage the border situation more effectively, especially in the current security context. Currently, our states are highly interconnected, a fact that prompts us to develop and optimize border infrastructure. Strengthening operational cooperation between our structures will increase crime detection capabilities and reduce waiting time at the border. Today's event proves once again that the Republic of Moldova is a reliable partner of the European Union", said Lucian Nicolae Bode.

The agreement will enter into force after ratification. At the same time, the official announced that the Government of Romania approved by decision the opening of the international border crossing point Bumbăta - Leova, and setting up Bumbăta customs point.

According to the Ministry of the Interior of Romania, before the war in Ukraine, in the six Moldovan-Romanian crossing points, about five million crossings were registered annually. In 2022, the number of crossings was 9.2 million.

Photo: MOLDPRES