OSCE Centre in Dushanbe helps destroy obsolete rocket boosters

DUSHANBE, 12 October 2007 - The OSCE Centre-supported destruction of obsolete rocket boosters began today at a military site in the outskirts of Dushanbe.

"The destruction of the rocket boosters is an important contribution to conflict prevention and overall security in Tajikistan," said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe, at a ceremony marking the destruction of the first boosters.

Lieutenant General Ramil Nadyrov, the First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of General Staff of the Tajik Ministry of Defense added: "Today we are witnesses of the results of the fruitful co-operation of staff and experts of the Ministries of Defense of Tajikistan, Russia and the OSCE."

The project was initiated by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Erkin Kasymov, when he was head of the Tajik delegation to the OSCE.

Some 108 rocket boosters of the type CA-75 will be destroyed by the end of November. The explosive ordnances disposal team of the Tajik Army were trained by Russian experts for the task.

Earlier this month, OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut visited the booster destruction site while in Tajikistan to attend the CSTO summit.

Andorra and Slovenia are supporting the booster disposal, which is part of the Centre's efforts to contain the security and environmental threat that the deterioration of such ordinance poses in Tajikistan. The Small Arms Light Weapon and Conventional Ammunition Programme of the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe is supported by Andorra, Belgium, Finland, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and USA.