OSCE organizes meeting to promote Central Asian law enforcement co-operation in combating organized crime

ASTANA, 1 July 2009 - An OSCE-supported meeting in Astana brought seven Deputy Interior Ministers and more than 50 high-level officials from the criminal justice sector together today for discussions on how Central Asian law enforcement agencies can co-operate to combat organized crime. 

Officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as Afghanistan, Mongolia and Russia took part in the meeting, as did experts from Interpol, Eurojust, the UNODC and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The one-day meeting, was organized by the OSCE Strategic Police Matters Unit in co-operation with the OSCE Centre in Astana and Kazakhstan's Interior Ministry. Norway and Belgium provided financial support.

"Organized crime is a serious security concern for the OSCE. This high-level meeting aimed to examine and identify ways in which regional law enforcement can be enhanced to make the fight against organized crime more effective," said Kevin Carty, the OSCE Senior Police Adviser. "It is important that we identify methods in which law enforcement can co-operate quickly, efficiently and effectively when conducting cross-border criminal investigations."

Jeannette Kloetzer, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana, added: "Organized crime in Central Asia encompasses not just all states of the region, but also the neighbouring states, making co-operation a key part of the fight against it."

Greek Ambassador Evangelos Denaksas, representing the OSCE Chairmanship, added: "In facilitating a discussion of measures to enhance law enforcement co-operation in Central Asia, I am confident that today's meeting made a significant contribution to improving the effectiveness of the regional co-ordination in fighting organized crime. This includes co-operation in the struggle against trafficking in drugs and human beings."

"Based on analysis of the paths taken by law enforcement authorities in our countries, today we have the opportunity to discuss measures which will encourage an active fight against organized crime at the legislative, organizational and practical levels, and also determine the basic directions and facets of common action," said Serik Baimaganbetov, Kazakhstan's Interior Minister.