Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 20
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
Fifteen law-enforcement officials and energy experts from Turkmenistan discussed best practices in the area of critical energy infrastructure protection at an OSCE-organized seminar that concluded in Ashgabat today, said the OSCE in a message.
The two-day event provided an overview of existing and emerging risks for critical energy infrastructure.
International experts elaborated on electricity transmission and presented examples of projects on electricity grids run by international institutions, such as the European Commission.
“Energy infrastructure security is one of the most serious security and economic challenges,” said Ambassador Natalya Drozd, head of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat.
“The OSCE calls on its participating States to enhance cooperation at the national and international level to ensure the efficient protection of critical energy infrastructure,” she noted. “As Turkmenistan has developed a vast energy infrastructure network, protecting critical energy infrastructure is crucial for the country’s stability and regional security.”
“We believe this seminar provided an excellent platform for the exchange of best practices and lessons learnt in this area,” Drozd added.
The seminar also addressed methods and approaches to risk assessment and governance, including participatory governance. The participants exchanged views on cyber threats and methods to mitigate risks and underlined the importance of coordination among different stakeholders at the national level.
The participants of the seminar included representatives of the interior and national security ministries, the State Border Service, and the state companies TurkmenOil and TurkmenGas.