DUSHANBE, 23.05.2019. (NIAT Khovar) – Yesterday in Hofburg, Vienna, Tajikistan chaired the 916th plenary session of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation dedicated to the politico-military aspects of border security and management in Central Asia.

The Permanent Representative of Tajikistan to the OSCE, Chairperson of the FSC Idibek Kalandar noted the importance of maintaining appropriate border security as a key factor in preventing multiple threats and challenges, including terrorism, transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking, illicit sale of arms and  conventional ammunition, which are being faced by the majority of the OSCE participating states today, reported the Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Focusing the attention of the OSCE delegations to the Dushanbe Declaration, — an outcome document of the high-level conference International and Regional Cooperation on Countering Terrorism and Its Financing Through Illicit Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime, which took place recently in Dushanbe, Kalandar stressed the necessity of the «member states to strengthen border management to effectively prevent the movement of terrorists and terrorist groups, including those benefiting from transnational organized crime.»

Keynote speakers, -Director of OSCE’s Border Management Staff College (BMSC) in Dushanbe Jonathan Holland and Project Manager of the Border Management Program in Central Asia (BOMCA) Veronika Goncharova- delivered presentations on implemented, as well as ongoing border related projects and programs in the region.

The delegations of the EU, Russia, the USA and Japan to the OSCE welcomed the inclusion of the issue of border security in Central Asia in the Tajik FSC Chairmanship program and reaffirmed their readiness to support the upcoming projects.

The FSC has adopted its first decision under the Tajik Chairmanship titled “On the Reminding Mechanism for the OSCE Communications Network.»