OSCE Mission to Montenegro organizes joint regional meeting of border police Montenegro and Albania

A fourth regional working meeting for the joint border police patrol border guards of Albania and Montenegro, organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro in co-operation with the OSCE Presence in Albania, the Montenegrin Interior Ministry’s Border Police and the Border and Migration Police of the Republic of Albania, took place on 11 December 2017 in Kolašin, Montenegro.

The event was attended by 20 mid-level border police managers, who work on both the land and maritime border between the two countries. The focus lay on the joint border patrol’s current work practices, with a particular emphasis on the security concerns connected to the expected increase in the tourist flow during the winter season and potential preventive measures that could be taken in this regard. The two delegations also acknowledged their results to date with regards to the seizure of narcotics in joint operations with the customs and police services, and the increased success in tackling illegal fishing activities on Shkoder Lake and the Bojana River.  

The objective of these regional security fora is to strengthen the efficiency of the border police in tackling cross border crimes, including by enhancing cross-border co-operation and communication through the implementation of joint patrols in accordance with integrated border management standards.

Three other regional gatherings in this format were organized in March, June and September as a tool for strengthening police operational networking under the OSCE Border Security Management Concept, “Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Albania and the Government of Montenegro on cross-border police cooperation" and "Protocol between the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Albania and the Ministry of Interior and Public Administration of Montenegro on joint patrols along the state border between the Republic of Albania and Montenegro” signed in 2008.