Azerbaijan, Baku, March 26 / Trend V. Zhavoronkova/
Tajikistan is a country that plays a role of a key factor in the stability of the Central Asian region, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier said answering Asia-Plus's questions during his trip to Dushanbe within the participation in the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan.
"Tajikistan, being located in the heart of Central Asia, not only plays an important role within the OSCE, but is also a key factor of stability within the region," he said.
He stressed that he attaches great importance to this visit as a step to further strengthen cooperation and an opportunity to exchange views on the OSCE current issues with the Tajik authorities.
"I intend to meet with President Emomali Rahmon, Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi, Interior Minister Ramazon Rakhimov, Chairperson of the State Committee for National Security Satmumin Yatimov, as well as with civil society representatives," Zannier said.
Secretary General said the sides plan to discuss issues regarding OSCE institutions and its wide network of field operations, including the OSCE Office in Tajikistan, which can contribute to ensuring and enhancing long-term security in the Central Asian region as a whole.
"We will specifically focus on what the OSCE can do to assist Afghanistan, one of our Partners for Cooperation, as it prepares to take greater responsibility for its own security. At the OSCE we are developing projects aimed at strengthening national capacities of Afghanistan, - not only in politico-military dimension, but also in the economic and environmental, as well as in human dimension," he added.
The OSCE is well-placed to contribute to the process, for instance, through training Afghan officers in Central Asia, Zannier said.
The OSCE's engagement with Afghanistan will also be the key theme of OSCE Secretary General's address to the high-level Fifth Regional Economic Co-operation Conference on Afghanistan, as well as of the informal meeting with Heads of OSCE Field Operations he will convene on March 27, in which representatives of other international and regional organizations and Central Asian states, including Afghanistan, will take part, he added.
Only by properly identifying gaps and areas in need for assistance, by creating synergies and optimizing the use of resources the OSCE will be able to contribute to advancing prosperity and stability in and around Afghanistan.
He stressed that the OSCE is fully committed to supporting Tajikistan's police reform process to develop a national strategy based on democratic policing, in which the participation of the civil society is essential. "Seeking to make our efforts in this regard as effective as possible, we value constructive feedback from representatives of the civil society so as to help ensure their concerns are taken into account," Zannier said.