OSCE workshop on International Co-operation in Criminal Matters between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan opens in Bishkek today

BISHKEK, 17 November 2014 – A two-day workshop on international co-operation in criminal matters between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan law enforcement agencies and Prosecutorial and Central Authorities started today in Bishkek.

The workshop participants will discuss legal provisions, mechanisms and tools to enhance cross-border organized crime investigations, which will improve the information exchange mechanisms between the law enforcement and Prosecutorial and Central authorities in both countries.

“After organizing six regional workshops in Central Asia, we want to launch a series of new, improved workshops, building further cross-border co-operation between the two countries”, said Guy Vinet, Head of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s Strategic Police Matters Unit. “This workshop represents, also for the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, a stepping stone for regular meetings of the Law Enforcement Agencies of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, aiming to reinforce cross-border co-operation between the two countries.”

The Kyrgyz and Tajik Foreign Affairs Ministries’ legal departments will present the framework of the current multi-agency co-operation between the two states.

Ambassador Kapinos, the Head of OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said: “The OSCE Centre in Bishkek welcomes the Co-operation Agreement signed between the Interior Ministries of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for fighting transitional crime and ensuring protection of human rights and liberties of citizens of both countries. Today’s workshop will help the law enforcement agencies to establish an effective mechanism of commitments’ implementation.

During the workshop the participants will have a practical session on real criminal cases involving multi-agency cross-border co-operation with the aim of improving the co-operation in fight against transnational crime using current legal framework.

The Transnational Threats Department of the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna, the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the OSCE office in Tajikistan organized the event in co-ordination with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Kyrgyz Ministry of Interior.