OSCE Office in Tajikistan supports explosive ordnance disposal training course for regional specialists
DUSHANBE, 30 May 2017 – Two parallel 14-day courses on explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) supported by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan concluded in Dushanbe today. The courses – for Russian-speaking and Tajik-Dari speaking students, respectively – were attended by 42 trainees from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Tajikistan.
“The EOD training programme, facilitated by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, has been developed in line with international mine action standards and corresponds to national and regional requirements on the ground,” said Fabio Piana, Acting Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan. “The Office is particularly proud of the solid international and national partnerships that have enabled implementation of such training courses for the fourth year in a row.”
Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Zeytoonian, Defence Attaché at the United States Embassy in Dushanbe, highlighted that building national explosive hazards reduction and response capabilities reduces threats to national and human security in the Central Asian States and in Afghanistan. “Joint training events contribute to the development of common approaches and co-operation in addressing explosive hazards issues, thus enhancing regional stability and security.”
Muhabbat Ibrohimzoda, Director of the Tajikistan National Mine Action Centre, said: “As a result of on-going mine action operations and continuing capacity building efforts, Tajikistan has transformed its role from an importer to exporter of technical knowledge and skills in mine action in the region and beyond.”
The courses, hosted by the Ministry of Defence of Tajikistan, were delivered jointly by the United States Army Central (supported by the United States Embassy in Dushanbe) and Central Asian instructors and certified by the Tajikistan National Mine Action Centre. They were financially supported by the United States State Department’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement and the Federal Republic of Germany. In-kind contributions were provided by the OSCE Secretariat’s Conflict Prevention Centre, ITF Enhancing Human Security, Norwegian People's Aid and the Foundation for Mine Action in Tajikistan.
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.
