Turkmenistan delegation meets international aviation security officials during OSCE-organized study visit

MONTREAL, 9 October 2014 – An OSCE-organized study visit to the 10th Symposium and Exhibition on Machine Readable Travel Documents, Biometrics and Border Security at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal for representatives of four Turkmenistan document issuance and passport control agencies concluded today. 

The four-day visit programme included meetings with representatives of ICAO as well as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International (ACI).

During the meetings the delegates had opportunities to explore possibilities for future co-operation and discuss the use of biometrics and ePassports to secure airports.

“Terrorism and illegal migration, as many other transnational threats, often include a travel document component. Therefore it is crucial that effective passport controls are in place to validate the travel document and verify the identity of the traveller at the border,” said Ambassador Ivo Petrov, head of OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “This is particularly relevant for Turkmenistan due to its proximity to areas of instability, including through its border with Afghanistan.”

The ICAO symposium programme covered various issues related to the implementation of the ICAO Traveller Identification Programme (ICAO TRIP), current and emerging ICAO standards and recommended practices, the integrity of document issuance and the needs for inter-agency co-operation and data sharing. The 2014 Symposium focused especially on border integrity and border controls, inspection systems and tools, and inter-operable applications that enhance security and facilitation at airports.

The study visit will be complemented by an expert roundtable discussion in Ashgabat to exchange best practices and knowledge to enhance identity management and greater passenger facilitation at passport control, especially at airports.

“This project will complement Turkmenistan’s efforts to further strengthen travel document security by facilitating contact between international experts and the host country’s agencies involved in passport issuance and passport control at the border,” concluded Petrov.