State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus
{{Short description|Armed border guard of Belarus}}
{{Infobox law enforcement agency
| agencyname = State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus
| nativenamea = {{lang|be|Дзяржаўны пагранічны камітэт Рэспублікі Беларусь}}
{{lang|ru|Государственный пограничный комитет Республики Беларусь}}
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| logo = File:Bel gpk.gif
| logocaption = Emblem of the State Border Guard Service
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| flag = File:Flag of the border service of the Republic of Belarus.jpg
| flagcaption = Flag of the Border Guard Service
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| formed = {{start date|1991|09|20}}
| preceding1 = Soviet Border Troops
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| country = Belarus
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| speciality1 = border
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| headquarters = 24 Volodarsky Street, Minsk, Belarus
| minister1name = Major General Viktor Khrenin
| minister1pfo = Minister of Defense
| chief1name = Major General {{ill|Konstantin Molostov|ru|Молостов, Константин Геннадьевич}}
| chief1position = Chairman of the Committee
| parentagency = Armed Forces of Belarus
| child1agency = Border Guard Service of Belarus
| child2agency = Border Guard Service Institute of Belarus
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| website = {{URL|http://gpk.gov.by}}
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File:State border committee of Belarus 1.jpg
The State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus, GPK ({{langx|be|Дзяржаўны пагранічны камітэт Рэспублікі Беларусь, ДПК}}; {{langx|ru|Государственный пограничный комитет Республики Беларусь, ГПК}}) manages the international borders of Belarus. Its armed paramilitary force is known as the Border Guard Service ({{langx|be|Пагранічная служба Беларусі}}; {{langx|ru|Пограничная служба Беларуси}}), It carries out committee orders and policy. The primary tasks of the State Border Committee include:{{cite web |title=State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus |url=http://gpk.gov.by/en/gpk/osnovnyie-zadachi-gospogrankomiteta.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160607150009/http://gpk.gov.by/en/gpk/osnovnyie-zadachi-gospogrankomiteta.php |archive-date=7 June 2016 |access-date=17 January 2022 |website=gpk.gov.by}} border policy and enhancing border security.
The service covers the borders with Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.{{cite web|url=http://gpk.gov.by/gpk/rukovodyashhiy-sostav.php|title=State Border Committee|website=Gpk.gov.by|accessdate=23 January 2019|archive-date=13 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213171556/http://gpk.gov.by/gpk/rukovodyashhiy-sostav.php|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url = https://rovienna.iom.int/media/taras-seredyuk-state-border-committee-republic-belarus|title = Taras Seredyuk, the State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus|date = 8 December 2017|access-date = 22 March 2019|archive-date = 22 March 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190322235613/https://rovienna.iom.int/media/taras-seredyuk-state-border-committee-republic-belarus|url-status = dead}}
History
The Border Committee was created by decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus on September 20, 1991. To manage the border units and subunits, the General Directorate of the Border Troops ({{langx|ru|Главное управление пограничных войск}} was established by order of the Supreme Soviet on January 15, 1992 under the Council of Ministers. To create a legal basis for their activities, the Supreme Council adopted Law No. 1908-XII “On the State Border of the Republic of Belarus”, and Law No. 1911-XII “On the Border Troops of the Republic of Belarus” on November 4–5, 1992. On August 19, 1993, a law was adopted by the Council of Ministers decree on the official creation of the Border Troops of Belarus. Between 1994 and 1997, the first border units were formed/deployed and agreements were made between Belarus' neighbors on cooperation between the border troops of Belarus and neighboring countries. On 11 January 1997, President Lukashenko signed decree renaming the General Directorate to State Committee of the Border Troops. In a September 2007 decree, President Alexander Lukashenko renamed the Border Troops of Belarus to the Border Service.{{Cite web |url=http://www.pravo.by/main.aspx?guid=3871&p0=p30700448&p2=%7BNRPA%7D |title=Указ Прэзiдэнта Рэспублiкi Беларусь ад 25 верасня 2007 г. № 448 "Аб некаторых пытаннях органаў пагранічнай службы" |access-date=2019-03-22 |archive-date=2015-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150523153936/http://www.pravo.by/main.aspx?guid=3871&p0=p30700448&p2=%7BNRPA%7D |url-status=live }}
On September 18, 2020, the committee announced it had tightened border security with Poland and Lithuania, calling up reserves to patrol the borders although Poland and Lithuania said their borders with Belarus remained open.{{cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-18/belarus-tightens-border-security-as-leader-threatens-closure | title=Belarus Tightens Border Security with Two EU Neighbors | newspaper=Bloomberg.com | date=18 September 2020 | access-date=2020-09-19 | archive-date=2021-11-03 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103082038/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-18/belarus-tightens-border-security-as-leader-threatens-closure | url-status=live }}
After the start of the Belarus–EU border crisis, the leadership of the State Border Committee, including its chairman Lappo, was included in the sanctions lists of the European Union,{{cite web|url = https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2021:430I:FULL&from=EN|title = COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2021/2124 of 2 December 2021 implementing Article 8a(1) of Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in respect of Belarus|author = |date = 2021-12-02|work = Official Journal of the European Union|language = en|accessdate = 2021-12-23|archive-date = 2021-12-15|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211215212949/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2021:430I:FULL&from=EN|url-status = live}} the United States{{cite web|url=https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions/20211202|title=Belarus Designations; Publication of Belarus Directive 1 and related Frequently Asked Questions; Issuance of Belarus General License 5|date=2 December 2021|accessdate=10 December 2021|publisher=United States Department of the Treasury|archive-date=10 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211210171349/https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions/20211202|url-status=live}} and Canada{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2021/12/belarus-sanctions.html|title=Backgrounder: Belarus sanctions|accessdate=2 January 2022|website=Global Affairs Canada|date=2 December 2021|archive-date=2 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102153921/https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2021/12/belarus-sanctions.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canada-sanctions-belarus-over-migrant-crisis-in-concert-with-western/|title=Canada sanctions Belarus over migrant crisis in concert with Western allies|date=2 December 2021|accessdate=12 December 2021|publisher=The Globe and Mail|author=Steven Chase|archive-date=13 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213000027/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-canada-sanctions-belarus-over-migrant-crisis-in-concert-with-western/|url-status=live}} on December 2, 2021. Switzerland joined the EU sanctions on December 20.{{Cite web |url=https://www.seco.admin.ch/seco/en/home/Aussenwirtschaftspolitik_Wirtschaftliche_Zusammenarbeit/Wirtschaftsbeziehungen/exportkontrollen-und-sanktionen/sanktionen-embargos/sanktionsmassnahmen/suche_sanktionsadressaten.html |title=Searching for subjects of sanctions |url-status=live |work=State Secretariat for Economic Affairs |access-date=2021-12-28 |archive-date=2021-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909222414/https://www.seco.admin.ch/seco/en/home/Aussenwirtschaftspolitik_Wirtschaftliche_Zusammenarbeit/Wirtschaftsbeziehungen/exportkontrollen-und-sanktionen/sanktionen-embargos/sanktionsmassnahmen/suche_sanktionsadressaten.html }}
Tasks
Structure
The Border Service of Belarus has 14 territorial units under its control:
| class="wikitable"
!Picture !Unit !Founded !Notes !Website |
| |Brest Border Group
| |Named after Felix Dzerzhinsky. |https://tops.gpk.gov.by/brest/ |
| |Lida Border Group
| | | |
| |Smorgon Border Group
| | | |
| |Grodno Border Group
| | | |
| |Gomel Border Group
| | | |
| |Pinsk Border Detachment
| | | |
| |Polotsk Border Detachment
| | | |
| |Mozyr Border Detachment
| | | |
| File:20180810 141122 01 Hrodna Region.jpg
|Border Control Detachment "Minsk" |1945 |It serves Minsk National Airport.{{Cite web |title= История Отряда пограничного контроля "Минск"|url=https://tops.gpk.gov.by/opogk/istoricheskaya-spravka/}} |https://tops.gpk.gov.by/opogk/ |
| |Dzerzhinsk Logistics Group
|2007 | |https://tops.gpk.gov.by/gmto/komandovanie/ |
| |Communications and Support Group
|2014 | |https://tops.gpk.gov.by/2007/ |
| File:Institution IPS.png
|Border Guard Service Institute |1993 | | |
| |Border Guard Military Hospital
| | | |
Leadership
= Chairmen =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |Chief of the General Directorate of Border Troops ! rowspan="2" |Leader ! colspan="2" |Term of office |
| Took office
!Left office |
|---|
| Yevgeny Bocharov
|February 19, 1992 |August 30, 1994 |
| Vasily Morkovkin
| rowspan="2" |Alexander Lukashenko |September 26, 1994 |September 4, 1996 |
| Alexander Pavlovsky
|September 4, 1996 |January 13, 1997 |
| rowspan="2" |Chairman of the State Committee of the Border Troops
! rowspan="2" |Leader ! colspan="2" |Term of office |
| Took office
!Left office |
| Alexander Pavlovsky
| rowspan="2" |Alexander Lukashenko |January 13, 1997 |April 10, 2007 |
| Igor Rachkovsky
|April 10, 2007 |September 27, 2007 |
| rowspan="2" |Chairman of the State Border Committee
! rowspan="2" |Leader ! colspan="2" |Term of office |
| Took office
!Left office |
| Igor Rachkovsky
| rowspan="4" |Alexander Lukashenko |September 27, 2007 |July 31, 2012 |
| Alexander Boechko
|August 2, 2012 |November 2, 2013 |
| Leonid Maltsev
|November 2, 2013 |December 27, 2016 |
| Anatoly Lappo
|December 27, 2016 |May 30, 2023 |
| {{ill|Konstantin Molostov|ru|Молостов, Константин Геннадьевич}}
|May 30, 2023 |Present |
= First Deputy Chairman =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" |Name ! colspan="2" |Term of office |
| Took office
!Left office |
|---|
| Alexander Popov
|October 31, 1994 |July 14, 1996 |
| Evgeny Kovalev
|September 24, 1996 |June 9, 2006 |
| Vadim Zaitsev
|April 10, 2007 |July 15, 2008 |
| Andrey Gorulko
|August 29, 2008 |August 2, 2012 |
| Alexey Zagorodniy
|August 2, 2012 |April 12, 2013 |
| Igor Butkevich
|April 12, 2013 |Present |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Law enforcement in Belarus}}
{{Border guards}}
Category:Government of Belarus