BISHKEK (TCA) — The European Union sees Central Asia as one of the most strategically important regions. Trans-regional challenges such as human trafficking, drug trafficking, organised crime and terrorism influence the EU interests. Since border security is one of the key elements for stability of the whole region, in 2003 the EU launched a special Programme, the Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA), aimed at enhancing security, fighting against illegal trafficking and facilitating trade in Central Asia. All five Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — are beneficiaries of BOMCA, the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic reports.

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TASHKENT (TCA) — The chairman of the Association of Private Tourism Agencies of Uzbekistan (APTA) recently visited Germany to conduct negotiations with potential German partners on establishing long-term cooperation to attract tourists from Germany to Uzbekistan, the Jahon information agency reported.

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ASHGABAT (TCA) — At the meeting of Turkmenistan’s Cabinet of Ministers on July 7, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov summarized the country’s results for the first half of the year and outlined tasks for the period until the year’s end, Turkmen state media reported.

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ASTANA (TCA) — The Seminar on Capacity-Building and Networking for Civil Servants and NGOs from Afghanistan opened on July 8 at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Seminar is held in the framework of the joint project “Promoting Kazakhstan’s Official Development Assistance Cooperation with Afghanistan”. This project is conducted jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Embassy of Japan to Kazakhstan, and supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), UNDP in Kazakhstan said.

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BISHKEK (TCA) — Kyrgyzstan has found investors for the construction of the Upper Naryn hydropower plants (HPPs) cascade, Sapar Isakov, head of the Office of the President of Kyrgyzstan, said at a roundtable discussing challenges and reforms in the country’s energy sector on July 4 in Bishkek.

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