DUSHANBE, October 7, 2010, Asia-Plus — It is necessary to seek alternative solution to the problems of illegally crossing Tajik-Afghan border because it is impossible to fully control the 1,300-kilometer border through traditional methods, Mr. Michael Jones, UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Tajikistan, remarked at the international conference on Tajik-Afghan border security that opened here today.
According to him, investment in training of border guards and patrol dogs has not solved the problem fully.
Mr. Jones considers that it is necessary to invest in improvement of living standards of people living in border areas. “Population of border areas both in Tajikistan and Afghanistan live poorly. They have urgent needs in improvement of their living standards,” said the UN resident coordinator, “May be they are not so knowledgeable but they know the border patrol issues much better because they live not far away from the border. It is necessary to enlist their services so that they might help border and customs services in terms of border control and development of cross-border trade.”
Mr. Jones is convinced that it is necessary to give them an opportunity to feel responsibility for the border control and assist development of trade. “If we do not do this, our inaction may lead to deplorable consequences,” he noted.
This two-day conference is hosted by the European Union (EU) Delegation to Tajikistan and the Embassy of Japan in Dushanbe, supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, as well as the EU financed programs BOMCA (Border Management in Central Asia) and BOMAF (Border Management in Afghanistan).
