Terrorist use of explosives in focus of OSCE discussion in Armenia

YEREVAN, 15 October 2013 – A roundtable meeting on hindering terrorists’ access to explosives through better control over the substances took place in Yerevan today with OSCE support.

The event brought together some 25 experts from Armenian state institutions and private sector who shared with experts from Belgium, Spain, United Kingdom and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime their experiences in using legal tools to better control the explosives and explosive precursors. The main objective of the event is to assist Armenia in the implementation of the international legal framework against terrorism.

“This event aims to help its participants better understand what is required to prevent explosive-related terrorist attacks,” said Lilian Salaru, Politico-Military Officer of the OSCE Office in Yerevan. “We will also try to see how can the OSCE, working together with its partners, contribute in the most effective way to creating an effective national framework and interagency capacities to address terrorist threats and to implement relevant international standards on anti–terrorism.”

He added that the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department, alongside with the OSCE Office in Yerevan will continue to assist Armenia to become parties of the universal antiterrorism instruments.

The discussion is held with the financial support of Governments of Australia and Germany.