OSCE Chairperson Minister Ian Borg visits Tajikistan
The one-day visit included meetings with President Rahmon and Foreign Minister Muhriddin
Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade and OSCE Chairperson Ian Borg arrived in Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan, on Wednesday to meet government officials, civil society organisations and the OSCE team coordinating the organisation’s largest field operation in Central Asia.
This week, Minister Borg is in Central Asia to visit three OSCE-participating states in this region. After stopping in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, the visit will end in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday evening.
The OSCE Chairperson’s visit to Tajikistan coincided with the 30th anniversary of this organisation’s mission in this country, which was established in June 1994.
In Dushanbe, Minister Borg held meetings with President Emomali Rahmon and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin.
He emphasised the importance of regional cooperation to tackle shared challenges, highlighting projects aimed at stabilising Tajikistan’s southern border region with Afghanistan as well as initiatives to mitigate the impact of climate change.
In line with the OSCE Maltese Chairpersonship’s key objective, “Strengthening Resilience, Enhancing Security,” Minister Borg underscored Malta’s efforts to strengthen functionality of the organisation.
“In today’s climate of multiple crises, the necessity for forums like the OSCE that provide a platform for discussion and action on issues of mutual concern is more pressing than ever. Our operations in Tajikistan are helping this country in its efforts to improve security and stability with different projects and initiatives, including countering violent extremism, combating human trafficking, and promoting human rights,” he said.
The OSCE Chairperson commended President Rahmon’s efforts on gender equality and women’s political participation. The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe is actively involved in this area as well, providing vocational courses that help many women acquire the skills needed to secure employment.
Minister Borg also held talks with Colonel-General Rajabali Rahmonali, Commander of Tajikistan’s Border Troops, and visited the OSCE Border Management Staff College. He emphasised the effectiveness of regional security initiatives, including those supported by the OSCE and the EU, to tackle the region’s joint challenges. These border management and security training programmes have supported almost 2,000 officers engaged in border operations in the last four years. Over 10 million square metres of mine-contaminated lands have been cleared with the training and support provided by this organisation since 2004.
Malta began its 12-month Chairpersonship of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in January, under the theme ‘Strengthening Resilience, Enhancing Security’, after it was unanimously elected to head this organisation for the first time in its history in November 2023.
Photos (MFET)
