OSCE Centre in Astana conducts training seminar on confidence- and security-building measures

ASTANA, 7 June 2011 - A three-day regional training seminar for military officers on the practical implementation of the Vienna Document 1999 on confidence- and security-building measures (CSBMs) began in Astana today.

The OSCE Centre in Astana is organizing the event in co-operation with Kazakhstan's Defence Ministry. At the seminar, more than 30 military representatives from Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan will discuss developments in the field of confidence- and security-building measures, which are the focus of the Vienna Document 1999. Implementation aspects such as inspection procedures, experience exchange and the demonstration of weapons and equipment systems are also on the agenda.

"The Vienna Document 1999 is indisputably a key instrument for ensuring regional security and stability. It aims to create the trust necessary for openness and transparency, and in this way helps to safeguard stability in international relations," said Ambassador Alexandre Keltchewsky, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.

Colonel Marat Samatov of Kazakhstan’s Defence Ministry added: “Compliance with arms control regimes builds confidence and security, and is one of the main preconditions for our stable and peaceful co-existence. The Vienna Document 1999 is a strong example of this, and remains one of the most important such instruments in the OSCE area.”

The seminar includes theoretical exercises and a simulated inspection visit to the 36th Air Assault Brigade near Astana. The participants will conduct an evaluation in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna Document on compliance and verification, and produce a report containing a summary of their findings.

The Vienna Document, adopted by all OSCE participating States, obliges States to share information on their armed forces and military activities. It also contains provisions on compliance and verification, such as conducting and hosting inspections and evaluations, as well as on risk reduction, military contacts and co-operation, and prior notification of certain military activities. Participants in the seminar represent their national agencies which are responsible for the practical implementation of the Document's provisions in the OSCE participating States.

The OSCE Centre in Astana has been organizing seminars on the Vienna Document in Kazakhstan since 2007. The seminar is part of the Centre's long-standing efforts to raise awareness about OSCE CSBMs and promote regional security.