OSCE Office donates bomb-defusing robot to Tajik Interior Ministry

DUSHANBE, 16 October 2008 - The OSCE Office in Tajikistan donated a robot to the Tajik Interior Ministry yesterday to assist police bomb squads in dealing with improvised explosive devices (IED). 

The MR-7 robot, funded by the Norwegian Government, can be used for surveillance, reconnaissance, delivery, manipulation and handling of IED, and is particularly suited for indoor operations. Personnel from the police bomb squad were trained in using the equipment as part of the project.

"We believe that the equipment will be a significant contribution towards human safety and security in Tajikistan," said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, the Head of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, adding that the air forces of Canada and France provided free transport through Afghanistan as part of the project.

The handover of the robot marks the successful completion of Phase II, Task 2, of the Small Arms and Light Weapons and Conventional Ammunition programme.

Tajik Interior Minister, Mahmadnazar Solehov, who attended the ceremony for the official handover of the equipment, said: "The OSCE is a very important partner for the Ministry of the Interior and has been a consistent supporter of peace and stability in Tajikistan."