DUSHANBE, June 22, Asia-Plus — An official opening of a facility for destruction of small arms and light weapons (SALW) was held in Dushanbe today morning.
The SALW destruction facility has been established within the compound of the Interior Ministry ammunition storage.
Mr. Morten Kjellvang, Chief Technical Adviser to the OSCE Program on Small Arms and Lights Weapons and Conventional Ammunition (SALW/CA) in Tajikistan, has told Asia-Plus that two special machines for destruction the weapons were brought to Tajikistan from the United Kingdom. According to him, operation of these machines is very dangerous therefore they had invited four specialists from the Great Britain to mind them. “These specialists will instruct local specialists in minding the weapons destruction machines,” Mr. Kjellvang said.
Tajikistan’s Deputy Minister of Interiors, Alikhon Rahmonov, told Asia-Plus that more than 27,000 pieces of seized and confiscated as well as worthless small arms have been amassed in the ministry’s storage since 1993. According to him, the SALW destruction facility has a capacity of destructing 250-300 pieces of light weapons a day.
All seized and confiscated conventional ammunition as well as small arms and light weapons will be destroyed under the SALW/CA Program in Tajikistan in 2007, Alikhon Rahmonov said. This will contribute to improving the security of the people in the country.
The opening of SALW destruction facility in Dushanbe represents the next stage of the OSCE Program on Small Arms and Lights Weapons and Conventional Ammunition in Tajikistan.
Ambassador Alain Couanon, Head of the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe, a delegation of the OSCE ambassdors, representatives from Tajikistan’s power-wielding strucutres, MFA and other organizations.
We will recall that a training centre to help rid Tajikistan of surplus conventional ammunition, was officially opened by the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe in November last year. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training Centre and Demolition Ground (EOD Center) is located in Lohur. The opening of the center was the first stage SALW/CA Program in Tajikistan.
Besides the EOD Center and the SALW destruction facility, the SALW/CA Program in Tajikistan also includes the construction and refurbishment of SALW storage facilities for different Tajik governmental agencies, and the construction of an ammunition storage facility for the Tajik State Border Protection Committee.
