Border Police Day in Moldova Date in the current year: June 10, 2024

During much of its history, Moldova was part of various states, from the Ottoman Empire to the Soviet Union, so its border troops were pared of the armed forces of these states. Because of this, the formation of the Moldovan Border Police, also known as the Moldovan Frontier Police, in its modern form began shortly after the country’s independence.

The development of the Moldovan Border Guard Troops began thanks to the Decree on the State Border issued by Mircea Snegur, the newly elected first president of the Republic of Moldova, in September 1991. They were formed on the basis of the existing units of the Soviet KGB Border Troops based in Moldova. In January 1992, Colonel Vasile Calmoi became the first commander of the Moldovan border troops.

On June 10, 1992, the President of Moldova issued a decree that officially established the Border Guard Troops of Moldova. They were declared a separate branch of the country’s armed forces by a government decree issued five days later. The Law on the State Border of the Republic of Moldova was adopted and came into force in 1994.

In 1999, the Border Guard Troops of Moldova were transformed into the Border Guard Service under the Ministry of National Security. The next year, the Border Guard Service became an independent state agency. Finally, in 2012, the Border Guard Service was reorganized into the Border Police subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Moldova.

The Border Police of Moldova is responsible for guarding the state border of the Republic of Moldova with Romania and Ukraine, as well as controlling Moldova’s border with the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldovan Republic (Transnistria). It closely cooperates with the Border Police of Romania and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

The main task of the Moldovan Border Police is fighting against illegal crossing of the state border, illegal migration, and cross-border crime. In order to fulfill it, the border police has the authority to impose fines, carry out legal expertise of various documents, and conduct investigations. The basic principles it follows are impartiality, legality, personal responsibility, professionalism, respect for human rights, and transparency.

The Day of the Border Guard Troops of Moldova was officially established on May 27, 1995. Its first celebration took place on June 10 of the same year. Following the reorganization of the Border Guard Service into the Border Police, the professional holiday of Moldovan border guards was renamed Border Police Day. It is sometimes also referred to as Border Guard Day.

Like other professional holidays in Moldova, Border Police Day is a working day unless it falls on a weekend. It is primarily celebrated within the professional community and does not draw much public attention.