OSCE Centre holds training course on aviation security in Turkmenistan

ASHGABAT, 30 March 2012 – An OSCE-organized training course on airport and aviation security management concluded in Ashgabat today.

Supported by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and organized in co-operation with the Foreign Ministry and the State National Service “Turkmenhowayollary” (Turkmenistan Airlines), the specialized training event brought together 22 senior management officials representing Turkmenistan Airlines, transport police, as well as Turkmenistan’s border and customs and migration services.

During the five-day course, an international expert presented internationally standardized airport security operations, risk management, personnel management and supervision, threats and crisis management, as well as public safety concepts of security.

Participants also learned about the innovative concepts of airline security and inter- and intra-agency coordination. Special emphasis was placed on the challenges of terrorism, criminal activities, emergency planning, as well as lessons from the past.

“Since the attacks of 11 September 2001, the importance of airport and airline security services has grown throughout the world,” said Ambassador Sergei Belyaev, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “Being the world’s largest regional security organization, the OSCE is actively engaged in addressing the need to combat terrorism and other shared threats that challenge the stability of its participating States.”

“As Turkmenistan becomes one of the largest regional transport centres and expands its aviation fleet, the importance of enhancing air transport security and aviation safety increases. The training course is expected to expand the knowledge of the staff on modern threats to aviation security and to strengthen inter-agency co-operation to ensure security at airports,” he stressed.

Larry Wansley, an expert from the US who led the training course, said: “The course stimulated the exchange of experiences on principles and practices of effective management, access control, passenger and vehicle management as well as security procedures and safety operations at aviation facilities.”

As part of the project, the expert visited two international airports in Turkmenistan to develop strategic and operational security plans that are to become an integral component of the national aviation security programme.