OSCE Centre in Bishkek holds third in a series of training courses for Afghan customs officers

BISHKEK, 24 January 2011 – A five-week training course for customs officers from Afghanistan, organized jointly by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the Training Centre of the Kyrgyzstan’s State Customs Service, started in Bishkek today.

Twenty officers will take part in the training course, which will be led by Afghan and Kyrgyz instructors and is the third such course to be held with Afghan participants. The comprehensive curriculum, which includes combating smuggling, duty collection, anti-corruption and counter-narcotics search training, was developed in co-operation with the Afghan National Customs Academy and tailored in accordance with international standards and best practices.

Lilian Darii, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said: “The series of training courses for Afghan customs officers not only increases their professionalism but also enhances regional co-operation to stimulate the legal movement of goods and countering smuggling.”

“These courses demonstrate the successful co-operation between the customs services of two countries and the sustainability of the project. The courses are important for building capacities to support our joint efforts to fight smuggling,” added Zamirbek Malabekov, the Deputy Chairman of Kyrgyzstan's State Customs Service.

The course is part of the OSCE’s work to enhance engagement with Afghanistan, as agreed by the OSCE Foreign Ministers in 2007 following a request from Afghanistan for assistance from the OSCE in the area of border security, police training and combating drug trafficking.