On 23-24 November 2020, a UNICRI Team held a virtual meeting to discuss and consult with the Moldovan authorities responsible for preventing the trafficking of radiological and nuclear (RN) material. The meeting was conducted within the framework of the project CONTACT – Enhancing capacities to prevent the trafficking of radiological and nuclear material in the Black Sea. The meeting was organized with the precious support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova.
Over the course of the two days, the UNICRI experts met with relevant State authorities in charge of countering RN trafficking, and discussed issues such as legal and regulatory framework, inter-agency coordination mechanisms, available assets (equipment, human resources, expertise), regional cooperation, as well as priorities and future actions.
“The event was an excellent opportunity for the national stakeholders with competencies in nuclear and radiological security to share with our partners in UNICRI their experience, achievements as well as challenges faced in the implementation of the CBRN related activities. Moldovan authorities are looking forward to a close and fruitful cooperation with UNICRI as well as regional counterparts in the context of the CONTACT Black Sea project and beyond” – Ms. Vera Tarsina, CBRN National Focal Point for the Republic of Moldova.
“The meeting has effectively achieved its objective of identifying the needs and priorities of our Moldovan counterparts in the field of RN trafficking in preparation for an effective implementation of the project activities. On that note, I would like to extend my gratitude to all the Moldovan national agencies that participated in the meeting and to our Moldovan National Focal Point Ms. Vera Tarsina, for their tireless efforts, cooperation and commitment throughout the planning phase of the project. UNICRI’s close partnership with the Republic of Moldova has been well established over the years and is based on our shared objective to build the capacities of law enforcement and security agencies to mitigate CBRN risks within the Black Sea region” - Mr. Francesco Marelli, Head of Programme, CBRN Risk Mitigation and Security Governance.
The CONTACT – Black Sea Project aims at enhancing capacities of State security and law enforcement agencies to effectively prevent and counter the trafficking of RN material in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, as well as at increasing regional cooperation and exchange of information on RN trafficking investigations. The project is funded by the United Kingdom Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (UK BEIS), the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) and the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).
