The EU-funded Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA 10) held the second round of its National Project Steering Group meetings in Turkmenistan, in order to review the progress of its second implementation year and define plans for the upcoming period. On October 18, a meeting was held in Ashgabat, gathering national counterparts directly involved in the project’s implementation.

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Yakup Sapharov, Senior Specialist of the International Organizations Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, expressed his gratitude to the European Union for its support in implementing projects in Turkmenistan in  area of border management:

“Despite the fact that 20 years have passed since BOMCA Programme started, it still has a relevance due to the importance of the direction of work and due to the ability of the team of BOMCA to adapt the Programme to the needs of recipient countries. We believe that all directions of the Programme are important and relevant today. This includes the institutional development of border control agencies, improvement of detection capacities and other areas. In addition, it is important to strengthen the connection between border agencies of Central Asian countries, as well as providing opportunities for mutual training and exchange of experiences. Strengthening the capacity and capabilities of border agencies not only contributes to the effectiveness of detection and investigation of cross-border crimes, but also helps to increase cargo flows. I would like to note that special attention is currently being paid to the strengthening of transport connections between Europe and Central Asia. And I believe that the activities of the BOMCA Programme will contribute to the overall efforts in this area,” - he said.

H.E. Ms. Ambassador Beata Peksa, Head of Delegation of the European Union to Turkmenistan, expressed her gratitude to the Government of Turkmenistan for the constant support of the partnership with EU-funded programmes and said the following:

“The EU-funded Border Management Program in Central Asia very well represents the spirit of the EU-Central Asia cooperation, which aims to facilitate regional integration but also to build efficient institutions, giving them appropriate instruments and through all of this strengthening the resilience of individual countries and the whole region. The Border Management Program, launched in early 2003, being one of the biggest regional assistance Programs of the European Union in Central Asia, helps to reach these mentioned goals.” - she said. 

It is worth noting that the NSG meeting in Turkmenistan finalised the series of monitoring meetings in Central Asian region in 2023. These activities are expected to serve as a solid basis for the upcoming Regional Project Steering Group on November 15.