President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko emphasizes that Ukrainian border guards defend not only the area on the Ukrainian-Russian border, but also the eastern border of the entire Europe, the eastern boundary of freedom and democracy. It was stated by the President in the course of the working visit to Cherkasy region.

Addressing the border guards in the Training center of the State Border Service, the Head of State stressed that the eastern border should become impermeable not only for interventionists, terrorists and weapons, but also for drugs, illegal traffic and migration.

Petro Poroshenko noted that restoration of the Ukrainian control over the state border of Ukraine was one of the key moments of the Peace plan and Minsk protocol. "The State Border Service will have one of the most important tasks in its history – to regain control over the entire line of the state border in the most problematic points of the Ukrainian-Russian border together with the OSCE international observers," the President said.

The Head of State underlined the importance of holding the meeting with heads of border agencies of Russia on the restoration of control over the Ukrainian-Russian border as it had been agreed in Milan with President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

According to the President, protection of the border is not limited only to the military security. It also provides for the struggle against illegal traffic in which the border guards demonstrated certain progress recently. "I hope that the times of smuggled business partnership between customs officer, border guard and criminal have passed irreversibly," the Head of State said.

The President emphasized that much had been done to provide the State Border Service with new arms and equipment. It goes about magnum sniper rifles, mounted or man-portable grenade launchers, Igla MANPADS, antiaircraft mountings and machine guns of different bores, APCs and armored KRAZ Cougars.

The Head of State mentioned the contribution of the border guards who are defending the border of Ukraine today. "The border guards have always been the army's elite. Being the first to join the battle, the border guards provide an opportunity for others to be better prepared for the battle," the President noted.

The President highly evaluated the quality with which the Training center of the State Border Service prepares its specialists. "I am impressed with promptness of conversion of your center to the preparation of military specialists – artillerists, anti-aircraft gunners, snipers etc. Further preparation of such specialists must become mandatory for everyone," the Head of State noted.

The participants honored memory of 60 border guards fallen in the course of the ATO with a moment of silence. 12 border guards of the Center are among them, including Major General Ihor Momot whose name was added to the training center by the President on October 7. Petro Poroshenko highly evaluated the contribution of Ihor Momot to the development of the State Border Service and the establishment of the given center. Mobile maneuverable group of servicemen from the given center has destroyed 50 fighting vehicles and 500 terrorists in the course of the ATO.

The Head of State presented state awards to the border guards.