OSCE supports study visit of defence officers from Turkmenistan to ammunition sites in Moldova

ASHGABAT, 15 July 2014 – Five senior officials from the Defence Ministry of Turkmenistan discussed practices of safe storage of small arms and light weapons and conventional ammunition during an OSCE-supported study visit to Moldova that concluded in Chisinau today.

The visit was organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat in close co-operation with the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation, the OSCE Mission to Moldova and the Defence Ministry of Moldova. The visit aimed to familiarize the delegation from Turkmenistan with OSCE best practices and Moldovan expertise in the area of security and management of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and conventional ammunition (CA).

“Surplus stocks of SALW and CA continue to represent a danger to the security and environment across the OSCE region. All OSCE participating States have commited to ensuring the secure storage and safe destruction of surplus stocks of SALW and CA,” said Richard Wheeler, Political Officer of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

“We strongly believe that such visits provide valuable contribution to the exchange of experiences among participating States in the area of SALW and help upgrade stockpile management and security measures.”

The delegation visited ammunition depots in Floresti and Bulboaca as well as the Brigade in Balti and the military base in Danceni. The modernization of arms storage facilities, destruction of surplus items and OSCE-supported assistance programmes in this field were among the topics that the Turkmen officials discussed with their Moldovan counterparts and OSCE experts.