As part of European Union’s (EU) assistance to Kazakhstan’s COVID-19 response efforts, the EU-funded Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA) handed over today the essential personal protective equipment to the Border Service of the National Security Committee, State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance and Veterinary Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The equipment includes 150 sets of full-body protective suits (gowns, face shields, respirator masks, boot covers, gloves), and six handheld medical thermal imagers.

“As the situation with the COVID-19 continues to evolve, the personal protective equipment play a crucial role in ensuring that the personnel placed at the forefront of the efforts to respond to the spread of coronavirus are fully protected. The border guards, customs and veterinary-sanitary officers are the first responders, who are working hard to ensure the uninterrupted supply of critical goods and expedite the border clearances during the ongoing COVID-19 emergency.” - said Sven-Olov Carlsson, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The EU-BOMCA Programme is committed through partnerships with Central Asian Governments to support and equip the Border Management Agencies for advancing their capacities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.