28.02.2012
Belarus border guard policy for 2012 approved
MINSK, 28 February (BelTA) – President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has approved the resolution on the state border policy and the border security of the Republic of Belarus in 2012, BelTA has learned.
Alexander Lukashenko held a government session involving heads of the country’s power-wielding agencies on 28 February. According to the President, the composition of participants of the session was not accidental. “First, border security is of paramount importance in modern conditions. Second, coordination of the operation of different agencies for the sake of fulfilling this task must be effective. Third, the quality of operation of the State Border Committee itself has to improve,” said the head of state.
Following Alexander Lukashenko’s instructions the State Secretariat of the Security Council had examined individual efforts and processes going on in the Belarusian border guard. “Frankly speaking, not everything, which is going on in border guard bodies, meets modern requirements. The drawbacks indicate that the existing situation is not assessed thoroughly and therefore the tasks that have to be accomplished are not determined completely right”.
Alexander Lukashenko asked State Border Committee of Belarus Chairman Igor Rachkovsky to report the most dangerous challenges and threats and what was done to neutralize them and prevent them. “In turn, the heads of power-wielding agencies, who are present at the session, have to assess whether the threats have been correctly determined and have to determine their degree of participation in state border guarding,” said the President.
Alexander Lukashenko said he would like to hear what would be done to improve coordination of border security actions, what practical steps would be taken to step up the effectiveness of border guarding, and what problems and unresolved issues there were.
Alexander Lukashenko said: “Don’t forget that the state board guard is not just another power-wielding agency. It is an agency that protects our land. Are our military ready to fulfill the task?” The head of state said he wanted every participant of the session to provide an objective evaluation of the situation and come up with concrete proposals to improve the national border security.
Igor Rachkovsky said in 2011 Belarusian border security bodies generally managed to fulfill their tasks. Acting within their competence border guard agencies worked to prevent destabilization of the domestic situation by internal and external destructive forces.
In 2011 the State Border Committee continued implementing measures to ensure border security in line with the legislation.
In 2011 migration activity of citizens of several countries increased. The number of border trespassing attempts rose by 40.6% (from 564 to 793). The Baltic states direction accounted for 42.4% of the total number of apprehended trespassers. Besides, 20 organizers and accomplices to illegal transit migration were arrested. Seven channels were suppressed. As many as about 20 possible channels of illegal migration are being investigated. Voluntary border guards apprehended 876 violators of border regulations.
As part of the efforts to protect economic interests of Belarus at the border over Br79 billion worth of commodities was arrested, 93% up from 2010. The Ukrainian and Lithuanian directions accounted for 32.8% and 26% of the arrested goods and materials.
The state border guard service continues working hard to suppress contraband of narcotic and psychotropic substances, illegal arms and ammunition, other illegal manifestations. Measures to improve the protection of the “green” border have allowed reducing the total number of border regulations by 13.8%. Meanwhile, the number of border zone permits issued to foreign citizens increased by more than two times.
In 2011 passenger traffic went up 2.3%, vehicle traffic went up 0.7%.
Alexander Lukashenko held a government session involving heads of the country’s power-wielding agencies on 28 February. According to the President, the composition of participants of the session was not accidental. “First, border security is of paramount importance in modern conditions. Second, coordination of the operation of different agencies for the sake of fulfilling this task must be effective. Third, the quality of operation of the State Border Committee itself has to improve,” said the head of state.
Following Alexander Lukashenko’s instructions the State Secretariat of the Security Council had examined individual efforts and processes going on in the Belarusian border guard. “Frankly speaking, not everything, which is going on in border guard bodies, meets modern requirements. The drawbacks indicate that the existing situation is not assessed thoroughly and therefore the tasks that have to be accomplished are not determined completely right”.
Alexander Lukashenko asked State Border Committee of Belarus Chairman Igor Rachkovsky to report the most dangerous challenges and threats and what was done to neutralize them and prevent them. “In turn, the heads of power-wielding agencies, who are present at the session, have to assess whether the threats have been correctly determined and have to determine their degree of participation in state border guarding,” said the President.
Alexander Lukashenko said he would like to hear what would be done to improve coordination of border security actions, what practical steps would be taken to step up the effectiveness of border guarding, and what problems and unresolved issues there were.
Alexander Lukashenko said: “Don’t forget that the state board guard is not just another power-wielding agency. It is an agency that protects our land. Are our military ready to fulfill the task?” The head of state said he wanted every participant of the session to provide an objective evaluation of the situation and come up with concrete proposals to improve the national border security.
Igor Rachkovsky said in 2011 Belarusian border security bodies generally managed to fulfill their tasks. Acting within their competence border guard agencies worked to prevent destabilization of the domestic situation by internal and external destructive forces.
In 2011 the State Border Committee continued implementing measures to ensure border security in line with the legislation.
In 2011 migration activity of citizens of several countries increased. The number of border trespassing attempts rose by 40.6% (from 564 to 793). The Baltic states direction accounted for 42.4% of the total number of apprehended trespassers. Besides, 20 organizers and accomplices to illegal transit migration were arrested. Seven channels were suppressed. As many as about 20 possible channels of illegal migration are being investigated. Voluntary border guards apprehended 876 violators of border regulations.
As part of the efforts to protect economic interests of Belarus at the border over Br79 billion worth of commodities was arrested, 93% up from 2010. The Ukrainian and Lithuanian directions accounted for 32.8% and 26% of the arrested goods and materials.
The state border guard service continues working hard to suppress contraband of narcotic and psychotropic substances, illegal arms and ammunition, other illegal manifestations. Measures to improve the protection of the “green” border have allowed reducing the total number of border regulations by 13.8%. Meanwhile, the number of border zone permits issued to foreign citizens increased by more than two times.
In 2011 passenger traffic went up 2.3%, vehicle traffic went up 0.7%.