INVITATION: Eastern border barrier fence is progressing – welcome to a press conference on 30 May 2023
Dear media representative, We warmly welcome you to the Finnish Border Guard’s press conference concerning the eastern border barrier fence project. The press conference will take place on Tuesday, 30 May 2023 from 12:00 to 14:00 at Imatra Border Control Station and at the construction site (Pietarintie 1, 55610 Imatra).
Register for the press conference in advance
The press conference is organised in the border zone at the fence construction site, which is why advance registration is required from participants. Register by Friday, 26 May at 12:00 by sending the media’s name and the name and date of birth of the participant(s) to [email protected]. Bring an identification document to the press conference.
Participation in the press conference is not possible if you have not registered by the deadline or if necessary information is missing from the registration. It is not possible to participate in the press conference remotely.
There is time reserved for questions during the press conference. Interviews can be conducted during the construction site visit. Please tell us if you want to interview a certain person and on what topic you want to interview them when registering.
The press conference includes a visit to the construction site, and photography is possible there. Moving to the photography site is done on foot from Imatra Border Control Station. We ask you to prepare with equipment suitable for construction site and off-road conditions.
Arrival at the press conference
We ask those who have registered to arrive at Imatra Border Control Station by 11:45 on 30 May 2023 (Pietarintie 1, 55610 Imatra). Only those who have registered within the deadline can participate in the press conference. We will check participants’ names upon arrival at the border control station.
Programme
The press conference is hosted by Southeast Finland Border Guard District’s Deputy Commander Jukka Lukkari. Also present are Eastern Border Barrier Fence Project Manager Ismo Kurki, Head of Border Control Joonas Miettinen and Foreman Elmeri Ollikainen from the main contractor of the pilot phase, GRK Suomi Oy.
A press release on the content of the press conference will be sent to the media after the press conferences have ended. The same press release will be distributed to media representatives at the press conference.
Press conference programme:
- 11:45 Arrival (Pietarintie 1, 55610 Imatra).
- 12:00 - Opening of the press conference.
- 12:10–12:30 Moving to the construction site.
- 12:30–13:40 Presentation of the progress of the project, introduction to the barrier fence construction site (the site has erected fence) and interviews at the site. Photography is possible.
- Lieutenant Colonel Jukka Lukkari
- Project Manager Ismo Kurki
- Captain Joonas Miettinen
- GRK’S Foreman Elmeri Ollikainen
- 13:40–14:00 Moving from the construction site to the border control station and closing the press conference.
General information
In the fourth supplementary budget for 2022, Parliament granted the Finnish Border Guard EUR 6 million in funding for the piloting of a barrier fence. In the budget for 2023, Parliament has granted the Finnish Border Guard EUR 139 million for the implementation of the most important sites of the barrier fence, that is, border crossing points and their neighbouring areas. The Finnish Border Guard has coordinated the project to implement the construction of a barrier fence.
The Finnish Border Guard is present at the eastern border in all circumstances on every day of the year. We are responsible for border control, border checks, the monitoring and protecting of territorial integrity and for numerous other tasks in the border area. We also support other authorities in their operations in the border area.
The eastern border barrier fence project has progressed to its pilot phase, and the aim is to complete the pilot phase in summer 2023.
For more information on the project, visit our website
For more information about the press conference, contact:
Communications Secretary of Southeast Finland Border Guard District Enni Matikainen, tel. +358 295 422 061.
