OSCE Centre supports confidence and security-building measures in Central Asia

ALMATY, 19 October 2006 - Confidence and security-building measures in Central Asia are the topic of a meeting, Organized by the OSCE Centre in Almaty, the Kazakh Defence Ministry and NATO, that ends in Almaty today.

The two-day event brought together military officials and arms control experts from Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Participants also discussed the implementation of confidence-building measures in the region in compliance with the 1999 Vienna Document.

"By reinforcing confidence-building measures we can create a solid basis to address contemporary threats and challenges to regional security and stability," said Ambassador Ivar Vikki, the Head of the OSCE Centre. "Through closer co-operation, international organizations can complement each other's efforts and support the implementation of the relevant commitments by the countries from the region."

In co-operation with the Defence Ministry, the OSCE Centre has also organized training courses on arms control for military officers in Central Asia within the framework of the Regional Arms Control Centre in Almaty.