OSCE trains military officers on Vienna Document in Kazakhstan

An OSCE-supported four-day regional training seminar on the practical implementation of the Vienna Document 2011 and the implementation of confidence- and security-building measures concluded on 14 June 2019 in Nur-Sultan. Some 30 military officers from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Mongolia took part in the event.

Military and civilian experts from Belarus, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre shared their expertise. The participants discussed developments in the field of confidence- and security-building measures, which are the focus of the Vienna Document, as well as its implementation aspects, such as inspection procedures, experience exchange and the demonstration of weapons and equipment systems.

The seminar included theoretical exercises and a simulated inspection visit to the 610th air base near the city of Karagandy. The participants carried out an evaluation in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna Document on compliance and verification, and produced an internal report.

The Vienna Document was adopted by all OSCE participating States and obliges them to share information on their armed forces and military activities. It also contains provisions on compliance and verification, such as conducting and hosting inspections and evaluations, as well as on risk reduction, military contacts and co-operation, and prior notification of certain military activities.

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan organized the event in co-operation with Kazakhstan's Defence Ministry and with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek and the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe.

The OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan has been organizing seminars on the Vienna Document in Kazakhstan since 2006. The seminar is part of the Programme Office's long-standing efforts to promote OSCE confidence- and security-building measures and regional security.