OSCE seminar in Turkmenistan promotes implementation of confidence- and security-building measures

ASHGABAT, 22 July 2014 – An OSCE-supported seminar on confidence- and security- building measures (CSBMs) and the implementation of the related OSCE documents opened in Ashgabat today.

The two-day event was organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, in close co-operation with the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC), and brought together some 20 representatives from the Defence Ministry of Turkmenistan.

The seminar addressed the novel mechanisms for implementing national commitments under the OSCE Vienna Document 2011 regarding reciprocal military verification procedures and visits to military facilities. OSCE experts, along with national experts from the Defence Ministries of Belarus and Kazakhstan, presented provisions of the Vienna Document, such as conducting and receiving evaluation and inspections visits as well as organizing visits to airbases and military formations.

In his opening speech, Richard Wheeler, Political Officer at the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat referred to the OSCE Summit in Astana in 2010, and highlighted the importance of regular updates and modernization of confidence- and security-building measures for ensuring stability and transparency in the OSCE region. “This seminar is designed to not only reflect on the developments in this important area of OSCE activities, but also to elaborate future prospects and new approaches in implementing confidence- and security-building measures,” he said.

During the seminar participants shared national experiences in conducting verification activities and discussed the support role of the OSCE Communication Network in transmitting information related to the Vienna Document 2011.

Anton Martyniuk, CSBM/Projects Officer at the CPC’s Forum for Security Co-operation Support Unit, added: “The CPC attaches particular importance to this kind of events, which bring together the verification specialists with hands-on experience and vision on how the implementation of the Vienna Document could be further improved to ensure greater transparency and co-operation between OSCE participating States.”