Contents

State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus

State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus Дзяржаўны пагранічны камітэт Рэспублікі Беларусь Государственный пограничный комитет Республики Беларусь
Emblem of the State Border Guard Service
Flag of the Border Guard Service
Agency overview
Formed	September 20, 1991 (1991-09-20)
Preceding agency	Soviet Border Troops
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	Belarus
Specialist jurisdiction	National border patrol, security, and integrity.
Operational structure
Headquarters	24 Volodarsky Street, Minsk, Belarus
Elected officer responsible	Major General Viktor Khrenin, Minister of Defense
Agency executive	Major General Anatoly Lappo, Chairman of the Committee
Parent agency	Armed Forces of Belarus
Child agencies	Border Guard Service of Belarus Border Guard Service Institute of Belarus
Website
gpk.gov.by

The State Border Committee of the Republic of Belarus, GPK (Belarusian: Дзяржаўны пагранічны камітэт Рэспублікі Беларусь, ДПК; Russian: Государственный пограничный комитет Республики Беларусь, ГПК) manages the international bordersofBelarus. Its armed paramilitary force is known as the Border Guard Service (Belarusian: Пагранічная служба Беларусі; Russian: Пограничная служба Беларуси), It carries out committee orders and policy. The primary tasks of the State Border Committee include:^[1] border policy and enhancing border security. The service covers the borders with Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.^[2][3]

History[edit]

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 (Russian: 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.^[4]

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.^[5]

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,^[6] the United States^[7] and Canada^[8][9] on December 2, 2021. Switzerland joined the EU sanctions on December 20.^[10]

Tasks[edit]

Structure[edit]

The Border Service of Belarus has 14 territorial units under its control:

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
	Border Control Detachment "Minsk"	1945	It serves Minsk National Airport.[11]	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/
	Border Guard Service Institute	1993
	Border Guard Military Hospital

Leadership[edit]

Chairmen[edit]

First Deputy Chairman[edit]

See also[edit]

• Visa policy of Belarus

References[edit]