From 27 to 31 October, representatives of the French Gendarmerie visited the Republic of Moldova to exchange good practices and explore avenues for future co-operation with Moldovan law enforcement agencies on strengthening canine (K9) capabilities.
During the technical visit, French experts from the Gendarmerie Headquarters in Paris and the K9 Training Centre in Gramat met with the senior management and K9 units of the Moldovan General Inspectorate of Border Police, General Police Inspectorate and Customs Service.
The programme included meetings, site visits and live demonstrations at K9 facilities in Chisinau and in the field. Discussions focused on training methodologies, operational frameworks, new detection techniques, as well as the harmonization of Moldovan K9 regulations and practices with international standards.
The visit followed a study visit of Moldovan K9 specialists to France in November 2024, during which Moldovan officers observed the work of French K9 units in Paris and Gramat. This reciprocal visit marks the next step in strengthening long-term professional ties between Moldovan and French K9 services.
"The OSCE continues to serve as a platform for international co-operation, supporting the Moldovan authorities in developing sustainable and effective K9 capabilities in line with European practices," said Alina Grottenthaler, Project Officer with the OSCE Transnational Threats Department. "This partnership facilitates knowledge exchange that directly contributes to enhancing law enforcement effectiveness in countering organized crime and regional security."
The visit concluded with the identification of areas for future co-operation, including technical assistance and specialized training opportunities for Moldovan K9 handlers in France.
The event took place in the framework of the OSCE extrabudgetary project "Support to the Law Enforcement Agencies in Moldova in Response to the Security Challenges in the Region", implemented jointly by the OSCE's Transnational Threats Department and Conflict Prevention Centre/Forum for Security and Co-operation Unit, with the financial support of the Governments of France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
