Twenty specialists and practitioners of the military, law enforcement, and security services from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan completed a five-day Regional Explosive Hazards Awareness and Reduction course in Tashkent on 19 May 2023.
The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe organized the event in close co-operation with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan and with the support of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Defence.
The activity aimed to develop the competencies and enhance the qualifications of military personnel from Central Asia in Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE), and Gender, Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (GDEI) in Mine Action.
Four international experts from the United Kingdom and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining delivered the course per International Mine Action Standards.
"The course not only served as a platform for learning but also as a platform to exchange views and discuss potentials on combining our time, ideas, and resources to efficiently work together," said Sonja Stanisavljevic, the Integrated Cooperation on Explosive Hazards' Project Manager at the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe. "It aimed to enable Central Asian specialists to effectively, efficiently, and self-reliantly address issues related to explosive hazards over time."
Colonel Ravil Baybekov, Head of the Engineering Department of Uzbekistan's Defence Ministry noted the importance of co-operation among the respective Ministries of Defence of Central Asia and thanked the OSCE for its continuous and unwavering support in implementing the regional project on explosive hazards. "The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Uzbekistan stands ready to continue and expand the co-operation with the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in these priority areas."
The closing ceremony was attended by representatives from Uzbekistan's Ministry of Defence, the Office of Military Cooperation of the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, and the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe.
The course was financially supported by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs/Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, and the governments of Germany and Switzerland.
