Ambassadors sign agreements worth 790,000 euros for OSCE's mine action in Tajikistan
(OSCE/Bojidar Dimitrov)Ambassador Yves Bargain, Head of the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe, at the Moskovsky post of the Tajik-Afghan border, 24 May 2004. (OSCE/Bojidar Dimitrov) Photo details
DUSHANBE, 25 May 2004 - Agreements to provide support worth 790,000 euros to the OSCE's first mine action in Tajikistan were signed during a visit to this Central Asian state by five ambassadors to the OSCE. The funding will be used to establish, train and equip two mine clearance teams, as well as to enhance the country's survey and mine-awareness capacities.
The ambassadors representing Norway, Canada, Portugal, Slovenia and Belgium ended a three-day visit to Tajikistan yesterday, having earlier been to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
In Khujand, northern Tajikistan, they met editors of the OSCE-supported independent newspaper and news agency Varorud. They also took part in the opening ceremony of the Debating Club, a project aimed at equipping students with the art of debating. The students demonstrated their skills in a live debate on the pros and cons of legalizing drugs in Tajikistan.
The five ambassadors were very interested in the possible consequences of the phased withdrawal of Russian troops from the Tajik-Afghan border, which started this month. On the Moskovsky observation post on the Tajik-Afghan border, Colonel Alexei Shabas briefed them on the monitoring and defence activities of the Border Unit and said that the guards' main concern was the increase of drug-smuggling and the incursions of Afghan drugs dealers into Tajik territory.
During the visit, four ambassadors signed agreements to support the joint OSCE-Swiss Foundation for Mine Action project. The funding came from Canada (610,000 euros), Norway (100,000 euros), Sweden (50,000 euros) and Belgium (30,000 euros).
The ambassadors also met representatives of political parties, NGOs involved in the prison reform and editors of leading Tajik media outlets.
The Portugal's Ambassador to the OSCE, Francisco da Costa, encouraged the political parties to express their opinions not only on such issues as the electoral law or terrorism: "The OSCE is also interested in hearing you, now and in the future, on political freedom, on the right to demonstrate, on the situation of political prisoners, on torture, on corruption and its possible linkage with drug-trafficking, on land reform and on the conditions in which independent media operate," he said.
On difficulties faced by some critical newspapers, related to the state monopoly on printing facilities and to libel laws, Canadian Ambassador, Evelyne Puxley, encouraged the editors to be in touch with the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and described its role.
"We raised a number of issues with the authorities and Parliament, such as the law on elections," she said. "We urged Parliament to take account of the recommendations of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. We discussed the situation of the media and the prison system. We stressed the importance of our common fight against narco-trafficking and the role of both governmental institutions and civil society in assisting Tajikistan in meeting its OSCE commitments."
In Dushanbe, the visiting ambassadors also met the Deputy Prime Minister (in charge of Security and implementation of Tajikistan's commitments to international covenants on Human Rights), the Foreign Minister, the First Deputy Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Lower Chamber of the Parliament), the Chairman of Tajikistan's Drug Control Agency and the Chairman of the State Committee for Border Protection.
In the southern city of Kulyab, they met the Mayor and visited the Nurek hydropower station.
The delegation left Tajikistan today for Uzbekistan and will finish their visit to the five Central Asian OSCE states in Turkmenistan.
The ambassadors representing Norway, Canada, Portugal, Slovenia and Belgium ended a three-day visit to Tajikistan yesterday, having earlier been to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
In Khujand, northern Tajikistan, they met editors of the OSCE-supported independent newspaper and news agency Varorud. They also took part in the opening ceremony of the Debating Club, a project aimed at equipping students with the art of debating. The students demonstrated their skills in a live debate on the pros and cons of legalizing drugs in Tajikistan.
The five ambassadors were very interested in the possible consequences of the phased withdrawal of Russian troops from the Tajik-Afghan border, which started this month. On the Moskovsky observation post on the Tajik-Afghan border, Colonel Alexei Shabas briefed them on the monitoring and defence activities of the Border Unit and said that the guards' main concern was the increase of drug-smuggling and the incursions of Afghan drugs dealers into Tajik territory.
During the visit, four ambassadors signed agreements to support the joint OSCE-Swiss Foundation for Mine Action project. The funding came from Canada (610,000 euros), Norway (100,000 euros), Sweden (50,000 euros) and Belgium (30,000 euros).
The ambassadors also met representatives of political parties, NGOs involved in the prison reform and editors of leading Tajik media outlets.
The Portugal's Ambassador to the OSCE, Francisco da Costa, encouraged the political parties to express their opinions not only on such issues as the electoral law or terrorism: "The OSCE is also interested in hearing you, now and in the future, on political freedom, on the right to demonstrate, on the situation of political prisoners, on torture, on corruption and its possible linkage with drug-trafficking, on land reform and on the conditions in which independent media operate," he said.
On difficulties faced by some critical newspapers, related to the state monopoly on printing facilities and to libel laws, Canadian Ambassador, Evelyne Puxley, encouraged the editors to be in touch with the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and described its role.
"We raised a number of issues with the authorities and Parliament, such as the law on elections," she said. "We urged Parliament to take account of the recommendations of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. We discussed the situation of the media and the prison system. We stressed the importance of our common fight against narco-trafficking and the role of both governmental institutions and civil society in assisting Tajikistan in meeting its OSCE commitments."
In Dushanbe, the visiting ambassadors also met the Deputy Prime Minister (in charge of Security and implementation of Tajikistan's commitments to international covenants on Human Rights), the Foreign Minister, the First Deputy Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Lower Chamber of the Parliament), the Chairman of Tajikistan's Drug Control Agency and the Chairman of the State Committee for Border Protection.
In the southern city of Kulyab, they met the Mayor and visited the Nurek hydropower station.
The delegation left Tajikistan today for Uzbekistan and will finish their visit to the five Central Asian OSCE states in Turkmenistan.