From 17 to 22 September 2024, the 67th Congress of the International Police Association (IPA) was held in Ohrid, North Macedonia.
Representatives of 64 national sections took part in the event.
The four-member delegation from the Russian Federation was headed by Lieutenant General of Police Ivan Sardak, President of the IPA Russian Section.
Despite another attempt by individual states to exclude the Russian section from this respected organisation, it retained its membership. Cooperation with international partners will continue.
This was reported by the MVD Media Telegram channel:
https://t.me/mediamvd/33096
According to Ivan Sardak, Head of the delegation, the IPA World Congress considered matters of regional and global security. At a time when crime knows no borders, it is necessary to employ every available capacity and means, including those of the IPA, which has 75 years of experience in building friendly relations among police officers from 69 countries around the world. A number of meetings and consultations in the interests of the IPA Russian Section were held on the margins of the Congress. The outcomes of the visit and the Association’s current priorities were to be discussed in detail with delegates from the regions of Russia at the October conference in Kaluga.
“The police congress in North Macedonia has concluded. What do we take away from it? First, the Russian delegation fulfilled its task by maintaining its presence in this international organisation. Second, I would like to note the very warm attitude towards Russians shown both by the host Macedonian section and by ordinary people in the streets of Ohrid. When they saw Russian police officers in uniform, people approached them and spoke warmly about Russia. At the 12th-century Church of St John the Theologian, a priest who learned that I was a Russian officer presented me with an icon of St John the Theologian. Musicians also came to our table and performed the song ‘Katyusha’. It fills one with pride for our country and our flag, which we carried with honour in the small European city of Ohrid, steeped in Orthodox tradition. Through the centuries, that faith has preserved affection for the Russian people.”
“Thank you, brothers,” Ivan Sardak replied to each person he met and shook hands with. “Thank God that we are together.”
Press Service of the All-Russian Police Association, IPA Russian Section
