AKIPRESS.COM - A five-day study visit to Estonia for participants from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on good practices in border demarcation and delimitation concluded on July 23.

The visit was organized jointly by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan and the OSCE Center in Bishkek, in close co-operation with the Geneva Center for Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF).

Participating in the visit were fifteen representatives of Tajikstan’s Presidential Administration, Foreign and Justice Ministries, and Border Troops. They were joined by representatives of Kyrgyzstan’s Presidential Administration, Foreign Ministry, the Government Secretariat on Border Issues and the Border Troops. Participants were hosted by the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board at different locations along the Estonian-Russian border.

Since the border between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan is not yet properly demarcated, the aim of this study visit was to give participants a first-hand overview of how the Estonian border service is organized along areas of the Estonian-Russian border which are not clearly defined. They learned about best practices and international standards in the delimitation and demarcation of a border line. Participants were brought to different locations along the Estonian-Russian border, where representatives of the Estonian and Russian border agencies delivered presentations.

The participants were presented with guidance about the legal basis, operational framework, education, logistical needs and investigation techniques necessary for upgrading bilateral co-operation to international standards, as a way of preventing potential incidents and effective responses in the event of an incident.

The participants of this study visit also took part in a training course in Dushanbe at the beginning of July on conflict prevention. The training course and study visit were organized in response to a series of incidents that took place along the shared border of both countries in late 2013 and 2014.