PM states the issue of integrity and independence of Ukraine to be one of the key on the agenda of the international community

Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk has attended a transfer ceremony of vehicles and equipment to the State Border Service of Ukraine from the European Union on Monday.

The European Union provided equipment and technical assistance valued at over EUR7 million. The State Border Guard Service received 335 pieces of equipment, including 142 thermal scopes, 142 off-road vehicles, 51 Volkswagen T5 station wagons, and 36 laptops.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk along with Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Jan Tombinski and First Deputy Chairman of the State Border Service of Vasil Servatiuk visited a military unit and military town of a mobile border detachment of the State Border Guard Service in Kyiv, checked the latest automated examples of border control systems, satellite communication systems, became familiar with the elements of professional training of border guards. They visited a residential complex, where apartments for border guards are actively being constructed, first of all for ATO soldiers.

During the transfer ceremony of equipment, Arseniy Yatsenyuk stressed that the issue of territorial integrity and independence of the Ukrainian state, which faced Russian aggression, is one of the key on the agenda of the international community. "According to the Minsk deal, one of the key conditions that the Russian Federation has to fulfill, in addition, to get away from Ukraine with its military and mercenaries, is the restoration of full control over the Ukrainian-Russian state border," he reminded.

The EU and the US are providing a real practical assistance to help the Ukrainian state regain control over the state border. "In order to make the Ukrainian Border Guard Service actually European one and perform basic tasks on the impossibility of illegal border crossing and control over this border, our European partners have allocated a significant amount of financial resources invested in the purchase of new equipment, vehicles, modern control systems," Arseniy Yatsenyuk said.

He thanked the European Union, personally Jan Tombinski and all the participants and representatives of the international diplomatic corps for the real support for Ukraine in the fight for the integrity of its borders, independence and fight against Russian aggression.

He noted that the Government has started the construction of a new high-quality European system of protection of the state border of Ukraine since last year. "This is the European Rampart project, which will give the opportunity to close the state border from Russian terrorists, supply of illegal weapons, drugs, illegal migration, as well as heavy machinery," he added.

The Prime Minister highlighted that the key precondition in obtaining a visa-free regime with the European Union is the safety of Ukrainian borders. "That's why Ukraine started to build the European Rampart project and it is for this we need an updated electronic control system for our borders," Arseniy Yatsenyuk stated.

"Within these few months we have built over a hundred of kilometers of anti-tank ditches, about 50 observation towers, 400 kilometers of trace bands," he added.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk also informed that by the end of the year at the expense of the state budget will be built 300 apartments for Ukrainian border guards, especially those involved in the ATO.

"Let me remind you that, according to the Minsk deal, one of the key conditions that the Russian Federation has to fulfill, in addition, to get away from Ukraine with its military and mercenaries, is the restoration of full control over the Ukrainian-Russian state border",  Arseniy Yatsenyuk noted.

In his turn, Jan Tombinski said that the today's event as well as the EU support is "a demonstration of solidarity with Ukraine," Jan Tombinski said.