OSCE Ambassadors visit Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan to discuss transnational threats

A group of 17 OSCE Ambassadors arrived in Dushanbe on 4 April 2011 for a week-long trip to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to familiarize themselves with how the Organization addresses transnational threats in the region. They visited the OSCE Office in Tajikistan and met with top government officials, including President Emomali Rakhmon and Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi, and civil society representatives working in areas relevant to comprehensive security.

The Ambassadors’ stay in Dushanbe will include a full-day workshop at the OSCE Border Management Staff College on the various aspects of transnational threats, including the OSCE’s engagement with Afghanistan, and a visit to the Nizhny Pyanj Friendship Bridge on the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border.

“Central Asia has been a political focus for the OSCE for a number of years and drew even greater attention during the 2010 Kazakh Chairmanship and the Astana Summit. The region’s participating States play an increasingly important role in the Organization,” remarked Renatas Norkus, Permanent Representative of Lithuania and Chair of the Permanent Council, who is leading the trip.

“The planned encounters with officials and civil society, the workshop on transnational threats and the visit to the border with Afghanistan will allow us to get a better picture of the situation on the ground, and to follow up when we are back in Vienna,” he added.

Ambassador Heiner Horsten of Germany said: “Transnational threats such as terrorism, violent extremism and trafficking in drugs and human beings are a matter of concern to both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, as they are to all participating States, and we are convinced that the OSCE through its comprehensive approach to security is providing and can continue to provide valuable support to Central Asian countries in countering these challenges.”

The Ambassadors will also travel to Kyrgyzstan, where they will meet with Kyrgyz authorities, including President Roza Otunbaeva, and visit the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and Field Office in Osh.