Document security training held in Georgia

Twenty three representatives from the border guard, police and customs agencies from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine received training on the subject of document security in Tbilisi, Georgia, earlier this month. The training session, entitled ‘Concept of Document Security’, was part of the Eastern Partnership Integrated Border Management Programme, and was conducted by international experts from the Dutch Royal Marechaussee, Slovakia and a representative of the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the EU’s member states (FRONTEX) representative.

During the three-day session, training on first line document security and identification of forged/falsified documents was delivered based on examples from EU member states. Topics such as technical and tactical profiling and printing techniques were discussed.

The document security training theme is backed up by a study visit to Austria, which will be organised for the first week of September and which aims to create a unique opportunity to increase the professionalism of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) country representatives. This will be done by exchanging experiences with colleagues and experts from the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior, by having a unique opportunity to visit the Austrian State Printing House; by visiting the International Anti-Corruption Academy, by receiving interactive training sessions related to document integrity, and by sharing real experience in detection forgeries during the first and second document check.

The aim of the Integrated Border Management Flagship Initiative is to upgrade border management at the EaP countries’ non-EU borders by building on EU experience. “This is a precondition for effectively tackling customs fraud, trafficking and illegal migration, and thus for progress in key policy areas such as trade, customs and visas. Setting up integrated border management structures aligned to EU standards is also an important prerequisite for progress on the mobility of persons. Assistance for border demarcation, where appropriate, could also be provided in the frame of this initiative,” says the concept note for the project. In this context, an Integrated Border Management panel was set up and attached to the Eastern Partnership Platform 1 on ‘Democracy, Good governance and Stability’. (EU Neighbourhood Info Centre)