DUSHANBE, February 24, 2012, Asia-Plus — The next Tajik-Kyrgyz cross-border working group discussion took place in Batken, Kyrgyzstan on February 22.
Ghiyosiddin Esanov, representative of Sughd province (Tajikistan) in Kyrgyzstan’s Batken region, told Asia-Plus Friday afternoon that the meeting brought together sixty representatives from local authorities and law enforcement officers from Isfara (Tajikistan) and Batken (Kyrgyzstan) districts to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation of local authorities and provide them with opportunities to discuss cross-border cooperation.
The meeting participants reportedly discussed border problems and endorsed the plan of actions on cross-border cooperation in 2012.
Joint use of lands and water resources in the border areas was also among major topics of the meeting.
Meanwhile training in Interethnic Relations Management for local authorities and law enforcement officers from Leilek (Kyrgyzstan) and Jabborrasoulov (Tajikistan) districts was arranged by the EU-UNDP Border Management in Central Asia (BOMCA) Program together with UNDP Peace and Development Program in Isfana, Kyrgyzstan on February 20.
Thirty members of cross border working group representing local authorities and law enforcement officers from two parts of the Kyrgyz-Tajik border were trained in interethnic conflict prevention techniques. They received knowledge in human rights and rights of ethnic minorities, as well as discrimination of ethnic minorities. During practical exercise they made ethnic conflict analysis and study interethnic conflicts solving techniques.
According to BOMCA’s website, the Ferghana Valley is especially prone to trafficking in drugs, people and arms, which is a major destabilizing factor militating against the rule of law and the development of social capital. The pilot trainings completed are expected to contribute to cross-border cooperation and understanding between Kyrgyz and Tajik local communities.
The overall objectives of BOMCA are to help increase security in the Central Asian region, to contribute toward the facilitation of legitimate trade and transit, and to reduce the illicit movement of goods and people. The EU-UNDP BOMCA assistance program is funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP.
