Second group of Explosive Ordnance Disposal instructors trained with OSCE support in Tajikistan

DUSHANBE, 10 July 2015 – An eight-day regional advanced explosive ordnance disposal level three course for Central Asian trainees facilitated by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan concluded in Dushanbe today.

Eighteen representatives of national armed forces as well as national mine action coordination authorities and supporting agencies from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan completed the training course. It marks the second graduation of international mine action standards certified training instructors in the region.

“OSCE firmly believes that developing common approaches and cooperation in addressing the issue of disposing explosive hazards through national capacity-building and technical dialogue contributes to enhanced regional stability and security,” said Ambassador Markus Mueller, the Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan.

Muhabbat Ibrohimzoda, Director of Tajikistan National Mine Action Centre said, “Every effort that we make towards strengthening our capacities brings us closer towards compliance with international humanitarian disarmament conventions and reducing the suffering caused by explosive hazards.”

George Sherwood, Political Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan emphasized “Joint training enables interoperability among Central Asian militaries in possible future cooperation efforts such as participation in peacekeeping operations, which are vulnerable to explosive hazards threats.”

The course was hosted by Tajikistan’s Defence Ministry and facilitated by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan in training partnership with US Army Central. It was financed by the US State Department’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement.

Since 2009, the OSCE has been supporting the development of co-operative mechanisms on a technical level among states in Central Asia and Afghanistan to address concerns and challenges stemming from explosive hazards.