OSCE Centre in Bishkek trains border officials on travel document security

NOVOPOKROVKA, Kyrgyzstan, 11 November 2011 - An OSCE-sponsored training course on travel document security was completed in the Novopokrovka Border Troops Training Centre near Bishkek today.

During the ten-day training course, border officers involved in travel document security and passport control improved their theoretical knowledge and practical skills on detecting forged travel documents.

“Many criminal activities can be prevented or solved through the timely detection of forged documents,” said Ambassador Andrew Tesoriere, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek. “Kyrgzystan, working with its regional and international partners, can play its full part in thwarting the illegal use of documents by criminals, smugglers and terrorists. By training border officials, we seek to contribute to the country’s efforts to combat cross-border threats."

Zakir Tilenov, the Deputy Chairman - Commander of the Border Troops of the Kyrgyz Republic, said: “This course is a good example of our practical co-operation with the OSCE and its Centre in Bishkek to raise the effectiveness of border management in Kyrgyzstan.”

The course was developed by Border Advisors of the Austrian Federal Interior Ministry in co-ordination with the OSCE Secretariat's Action against Terrorism Unit and the OSCE Borders Team. So far the course has been conducted 16 times for border control officials of OSCE participating States and Partner States.

The course is a part of a wider project of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek to enhance travel document security in the Kyrgyz Republic, which also envisages producing booklets on travel document security and document examination kits.