Cooperation and coordinated action of all institutions within the integrated border management system has been reaffirmed as the cornerstone for achieving full border security, ensuring the safety of citizens and unhindered flow of passengers and goods. This was a key conclusion on the occasion of the completion of the training dedicated to combating the smuggling of weapons, explosives and narcotics, which was held from 13 until May 17, carried out in the Regional Centre of the Border Police in Subotica.
On this occasion, Assistant Head of the Border Police Directorate of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia Saša Arsenijević expressed gratitude to the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia for the support provided through the project "EU support for efficient border management" and to implementation partner KPMG for the successful cooperation so far.
"As a notable result of this project, I would like to highlight the support for developing the Strategy and Action Plan for integrated border management, which was adopted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia in 2022. At the same time, many operational documents and training programs in the field of integrated border management were created. Today, we are here because of the implementation of such a training program," said Arsenijević.
He also expressed his satisfaction that today in Subotica he attended the theoretical and practical part of the training for members of the border police and customs in the detection of drug, explosive and weapons smuggling. He concluded that the constant raising of the level of knowledge and the adoption of new skills in police and customs procedures contributes to the protection of state borders of the Republic of Serbia and its citizens, as well as improving security at European borders.
“Serbia is a reliable partner of the EU's in border control and regional security. Through the support of the EU, the Republic of Serbia is one of the first countries outside the EU to align its strategy with the new concept of integrated border management. With almost two years of Strategy implementation under our belt, today’s training is a testament to Serbia’s continued progress. By bolstering the capacity of IBM institutions, not only is processing time at border crossing reduced, but higher detection rates of illegal cross-border activities such as irregular migration, human trafficking, and smuggling are seen, all while upholding fundamental rights”, emphasised Nicola Bertolini, Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia.
“Since 2015, the EU has provided more than 220 million EUR in assistance to Serbia in the area of migration and border management, including the fight against illegal activities, contributing to the safety of Serbian citizens. In the coming years, we are planning to continue investing in Serbia’s capacity to conduct more effective border surveillance activities and more sophisticated border checks, including through advanced technological equipment”, concluded Bertolini, emphasising the EU's commitment to the partnership in view of Serbia becoming part of the EU.
Increasing the volume of international trade, tourism, cultural and educational exchange requires more open borders and trade facilitation while maintaining high border security. For this reason, all institutions that make up the IBM system must create a balance between strict controls and completely open borders, and the close cooperation of different institutions contributes to creating such a balance. The training organised today as part of the "EU support for efficient border management" project, funded by the European Union, should bring greater border security and, at the same time, faster cross-border flow.