OSCE organizes workshop in Turkmenistan on oil spills response and cleanup
TURKMENBASHY, 11 March 2008 - Experts and policymakers from Caspian littoral states, international organizations, the private sector and civil society are discussing oil spills remediation issues at a workshop that ends in the port city of Turkmenbashy today.
"The discussions are especially relevant to the Caspian region which has witnessed significant ecological damage due to excessive oil production and inadequate response mechanisms to oil accidents," said Ambassador Ibrahim Djikic, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabad.
The two-day event was organized by the OSCE Centre and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities with financial support from the Government of Spain.
Participants shared best practices and latest technologies in responding to oil spills and their environmental consequences. Experts identified possible areas for regional co-operation in the field, including shipping safety standards, implementing international oil spills conventions and emergency preparedness plans.
The OSCE stands ready to work with its partners in facilitating national and regional co-operation in the area of oil spills remediation.