State Border Committee receives over €2 million worth of equipment as part of EU-funded project

Belarus' State Border Committee (SBC) has received equipment worth more than €2 million in the framework of a project funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Organization for Migration.

The equipment, which includes, among other things, patrol boats, a swamp buggy, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, pickup trucks, and handheld radios, was accepted by the SBC at a ceremony in Pinsk, Brest region, on October 13, the agency's press office told BelaPAN.

Speaking at the ceremony, Jim Couzens, head of the Political, Press and Information Section at the EU Delegation to Belarus, said that the 28-nation bloc was interested to see borders safely guarded, which he said makes it possible to manage migration efficiently and prevent human trafficking and border violation offenses.

Titled, "Strengthening Surveillance and Bilateral Coordination Capacity along the Common Border between Belarus and Ukraine (SURCAP Phase II)," the project is aimed at minimizing smuggling and irregular migration through improved law enforcement cooperation.