On 3 and 4 October 2023, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana together with the Ministry of Defence of Kazakhstan supported a visit of representatives from the verification centres of 25 OSCE participating States to the 604th Air Base and 37th Air Assault Brigade in Taldykorgan city. The visit aims to support the implementation of Kazakhstan's commitment in fulfilling international obligations under Section 4 "Contacts" of the Vienna Document 2011 on confidence- and security-building measures, according to which an OSCE participating State invites and organizes visits to one of its conventional air bases and military facilities in any five-year period. Additionally, the event gave opportunity to verify information in accordance with the data exchanged during the annual exchange of military information, provided by the Republic of Kazakhstan as of January 2023.
Among over 50 participants were military officers, officials of the OSCE Secretariat Conflict Prevention Centre and the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. During the visit, participants familiarized themselves with daily and long-term activities of the military facilities, including training and maintenance operations, observe the presentation and demonstration of military hardware, including weaponry, as well as verify provided information and foster its exchange.
"The planned visit to the Taldykorgan air base and military facility is not only a demonstration of the technical aspects of Kazakhstan's armed forces, but also a symbol of its efforts to build trust and co-operation. It emphasizes transparency and openness in the country's actions, which is important for developing mutual understanding among OSCE participating States," said Dr. Volker Frobarth, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana during the opening ceremony of this event.
On behalf of the visitors' group, its spokesperson German Brigadier General Michael Shoy noted full compliance of Kazakhstan's Air Defence Forces with the specific verification requirements under Vienna Document 2011. Overall, the visit marked a significant milestone in advancing confidence and security-building measures within the framework of the Vienna Document 2011.
