Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 1
By Huseyn Hasanov– Trend:
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) held a seminar on the protection of energy infrastructure from natural hazards in Ashgabat, the OSCE said in a press release.
Representatives of the Turkmen State Commission on Emergency Situations, military and law-enforcement bodies, the State Seismology Service under the Academy of Science and other relevant ministries took part in the event.
The OSCE Center in Ashgabat organized the event to share best international practices on assessing possible risks, developing effective response measures, and evaluating the impact and implementation of other mechanisms aimed at protecting energy infrastructure and promoting energy security.
In her opening statement, Ambassador Natalya Drozd, head of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat, reminded about the 2013 Kyiv OSCE Ministerial Council decision on the protection of energy networks from natural and man-made disasters.
“This decision called on OSCE participating states to “make best use of the OSCE as a platform for a broad dialogue, cooperation, exchange of information and sharing of best practices on strengthening the security and safety of the energy networks in the OSCE region”,” she said.
“The 2013 Ministerial Council recognizes that damage to energy networks may cause serious environmental risks, and encourages OSCE participating states to reinforce cooperation on energy and environment, in an effort to enhance security and stability in the OSCE region,” said Drozd.
International experts focused on management approaches to the protection of energy infrastructure from natural hazards and shared techniques of preventing damage caused by earthquakes and responding to such incidents, including on energy infrastructure sites.
The participants were also briefed on management and decision-making principles in natural disaster response situations.
The seminar also featured a practical exercise and concluded with a roundtable discussion on mitigating the risks posed by natural hazards in Turkmenistan.