The meeting of the Regional Coordinating Council on Border Policy

The meeting of the Coordinating Council on Border Policy of the Administration of Smolensk region considered the results of operational law enforcement activities on the border with the Belarus territories. The meeting was attended by the Head of the Control and Interaction with the Administrative Authorities Department Oksana Loboda, heads of other executive bodies, as well as law enforcement agencies and municipal districts.

Also the meeting considered the issue of cooperation between authorities at all levels and law enforcement agencies to prevent violations during the preparation and holding of XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games of 2014 in Sochi, as well as the World Hockey Championship in Belarus (May, Minsk). The presentations were made by the representatives of the Border Guard Department of FSB of Russia in Smolensk region, as well as the regional offices of the Interior Ministry and the Federal Drug Control Service of the Russian Federation.

In general, as the results of the previous year show, the total number of crimes committed in the territories bordering the Republic of Belarus, decreased by 10 % (in 2012 there were 1174 crimes committed, in 2013 - 1052), including a 19%-decrease of serious crimes. Decrease of crimes was registered in all seven border districts. The percentage of the solved crimes committed in these municipalities has increased compared with 2012 from 72% to 76%. This is the result of consistent work of all services and agencies.

It was noted at the meeting that the key activities are supervised in close cooperation with the Belarusian colleagues and that there is exchange of operational information on specific crimes. For the year, the number of crimes committed by the citizens of the Republic of Belarus in Smolensk region reduced by 17.8%.

The Coordinating Council made several decisions on further improvement of joint work of law enforcement agencies and government authorities to ensure the necessary level of security in the Smolensk districts bordering Belarus.