On March 23, Deputy Chief of US Mission Christopher Smith, visited one of the border guard units.

On behalf of the Administration of the State Border Guard Service, Mr. Smith was welcomed by the Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Serhii Deineko, and the First Deputy Head of the SBGS, Volodymyr Nikiforenko.

During the visit, the American delegation could learn the functions and tasks of the border guard unit, saw the logistical infrastructure and resources, samples of weapon and equipment. In addition, there was a working meeting held to discuss the bilateral cooperation and further plans for its development.

"We are grateful to the U.S. Government for the support provided to the people of Ukraine and border guards in particular in repelling russian armed aggression. Today, the Administration of the State Border Guard Service and the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine have established close, friendly and parity relations. Thanks to a powerful team of experts from the Embassy, we have reached a strategic level of cooperation and are bringing Ukraine's victory closer together every day," emphasized the Head of the State Border Guard Service in his opening speech.

In his turn, the Deputy Chief of the US Mission to Ukraine noted that the United States is helping and will continue to help as long as necessary to defend Ukraine's territorial integrity.

"The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine is one of our key partners, and our cooperation has always been marked by transparency and high professionalism. Each of our joint projects is a success!" Christopher Smith said.

As a result of the meeting, the parties agreed to strengthen cooperation on several specific issues and launch new pilot initiatives aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Ukrainian Border Guard Agency.