On 3 February the OSCE donated 40 CCTV cameras to the State Border Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan. A formal handover ceremony marked the provision of this equipment, aimed at strengthening border management and surveillance.
The donated cameras will be deployed at key border checkpoints across Uzbekistan, with priority installation at the strategically important Ayritom Border Crossing Point on the Uzbek-Afghan border. This initiative is designed to significantly improve monitoring, security, and operational control along the country's frontiers.
"The OSCE is proud to provide this advanced surveillance equipment to our partners in Uzbekistan's State Border Service. This donation represents a concrete investment in regional security and stability. Deployed at Ayritom and other critical crossing points, these cameras will empower border guards to enhance surveillance, better detect illicit activity, and secure checkpoints. Our special thanks go to the Border Service for their exemplary partnership and diligent cooperation, and we are deeply grateful for the generous financial contribution of the United States, which has been fundamental to realizing this project," said Ambassador Antti Karttunen, Head of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan.
"The United States appreciates the steadfast efforts of the State Border Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan to secure its borders. Your efforts keep Uzbekistan and the broader Central Asian region safe and contribute to the United States' security. The equipment you are receiving today is only a small part of our comprehensive cooperation with the Republic of Uzbekistan on countering an array of transnational security threats," said Patrick Pratt, Coordinator for Security Assistance at the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent.
This support is delivered through the OSCE extrabudgetary project "Strengthening the resilience of Uzbekistan to address cross-border challenges emanating from Afghanistan", which is funded by Germany, Sweden, the United States of America, and France.
In addition, on 4 February, a coordination meeting of the project working group was held at the Advanced Training Faculty under the Customs Institute of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The meeting brought together representatives of the OSCE, State Customs Committee, the Customs Institute, Border Troops of the State Security Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review progress under the project and discuss and agree on the updated project roadmap for 2026-2027.
