21 August 2019 - Ministers of Defense and Interior Predrag Bošković and Mevludin Nuhodžić recently visited watchtower Krenza on the border with the Republic of Albania that is kept by mixed patrols of the Army and the Police.
"Joint patrols of the Army and the Police along a portion of our borders, in the area of the border crossing Božaj is a true example of how two institutions can cooperate in order to provide safety and security of all our citizens and territory of Montenegro," Minister Bošković stated.
"Today, Minister Nuhodžić and I have visited this area and not only this part of our border, but also a complete part of the border with Kosovo to the Albanian border and we make sure that exactly the Army and the Police are working together in order to fully secure and maximum possible ban on illegal crossing of our borders. Precisely, this kind of joint patrols provide the ability to rehearse procedures by together work and all that is essential in order to better quality and a better way to ensure our border, but up to us is to boost their working conditions and stay in these facilities," Minister Bošković pointed out.
Speaking about the engagement of the police and army to protect state borders from the illegal immigration and cross – border crime, Minister Nuhodžić emphasised for the Ministry of Defence that mixed patrols prevented about 2,000 persons of illegally entering Montenegro from August to December 2018.
"We made sure that members of the Police and the Army perform tasks professional and dedicated, respecting the legislation and referring to humanely towards migrants," the Minister highlighted.
Minister Nuhodžić recalled that the Ministry of Interior is working continuously in order to improve the technical equipment of the Border Police, with significant support from the Government and the European Commission, in line with the Schengen standards and the Schengen Action Plan.
"Controlled and secure borders contribute to greater security of all our citizens and all guests staying in Montenegro, and it is, at the same time, our best contribution to a safer region and Europe," Minister Nuhodžić concluded.
Based on the decision of the Defence and Security Council, since August last year, the Army of Montenegro provides assistance to the border police in guarding the state border and it is engaged in the control of the border zone and the state border with Albania to the border Božaj crossing zone.
Mixed patrols of the Police Directorate and the Army of Montenegro control the border, primarily in order to be prevented from illegal border crossings with Albania, but also other illegal activities at the border and in the border zone.
Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Army of Montenegro Colonel Svetozar Brajković and Assistant Director of the Police Director – Head of the Border Police Vesko Damjanović also attended the watchtower visit.
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