Moldovan border service officers complete OSCE study visit to Romania

Moldovan border and law enforcement officers visited the International Airport Henri Coanda in Otopeni and the International Airport Avram Iancu in Cluj-Napoca during a study visit that took place from 3 to 7 June. Organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department with the support of the Permanent Mission of Romania to the OSCE, the visit helped participants improve their expertise and skills related to airport security.

During the visit, 12 officers from the Moldovan General Inspectorate of Border Police, Customs Service and Airport Administration explored good practices, strategies, tools, and procedures pertaining to airport security measures applied at both Romanian airports. Participants had the opportunity to analyze Romania’s aviation security standards, crisis management procedures at airports, as well as general organization of airport security flows.

“I had the unique opportunity to examine the operational use of modern technologies and equipment used in airport security, with a focus on maintenance and quality control,” said Ms. Victoria Begal, a Moldovan Border Police Officer.

Another aspect that was explored and emphasized during this visit was the importance of inter-institutional communication and co-operation among all Romanian border and law enforcement agencies in maintaining high airport security standards.

One of the highlights of this initiative was the site visits organized for the Moldovan participants on the premises of both airports.  Participants had the opportunity to visit arrival and departure terminals, passenger screening points,  and cargo terminals among other locations. They observed security flows at the airports and the real-world application of security measures and protocols discussed during the sessions.

“This visit is an opportunity for Romanian and Moldovan border and law enforcement agencies to foster bilateral co-operation on airport security, focusing on enhancing airport security measures and response capabilities,” underlined Inesa Nicolaescu, Associate Border Security Officer at the Transnational Threats Department.

This study visit was organized with the support of the government of the United States of America and Poland, as part of the OSCE project “Support to the Law Enforcement Agencies in Moldova in Response to the Security Challenges in the Region”, funded by France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States.