Self-sufficient maritime guard planned to be created in Ukraine in three years. Photos

“The State Border Guard Service continues to be reformed systematically amid the Russian aggression, and the path towards the Euro-Atlantic integration is stipulated in our strategic documents. Thanks to the support of the Export Control and Border Security Program of the US Embassy in Ukraine, we are building up the capabilities of a separate Regional Department of Maritime Security actively. Thus, in the next three years, we plan to create a self-sufficient maritime guard capable of protecting maritime borders effectively and counteracting transnational challenges adequately,” Chairman of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Petro Tsyhykal said during an interdepartmental round table meeting on maritime security legislation, the press service of the State Border Guard Service reports.

In turn, Deputy Interior Minister of Ukraine Vadym Troyan stressed that ensuring the inviolability of the state border in the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov is a strategic task for the Interior Ministry of Ukraine. According to him, Ukraine is the sea power, which has the longest sea coast among the states of the Azov-Black Sea basin - 2759.2 km, and more than 72,000 square kilometres of the exclusive maritime economic zone. That is why, the units of the Interior Ministry intensify their activities in this area now and a unified security system is being created, consisting of border guards, National Guard and police officers.

"It will be strengthened by the aviation security and civil defense units of the Interior Ministry. It will be a completely new mechanism of monitoring and prompt response, mobile groups, information sharing. This will significantly strengthen our presence in the Black Sea. We will not pamper the aggressive wishes of the occupying power," Troyan said.

As noted, the meeting participants plan not only to elaborate specific proposals for improving the maritime legislation of Ukraine but also to discuss the modernization of boats and ships of the maritime guard of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the improvement of the communications system and training of special units at sea.

Apart from the officials of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the Interior Ministry of Ukraine, the representatives of the US Coast Guard, leading experts in maritime law of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the representatives of the law enforcement agencies, ministries and departments of Ukraine take part in the meeting.

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