UNICEF, Turkmenistan hold seminar on Child Protection issues
Ashgabat, 8 Sept 2005 (nCa) --- The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, working alongside Turkmenistan’s Women’s Union, has held the first of two orientation workshops for government officials working in the field of child protection and family support.

The first seminar, from September 5-7, involved 30 officials working in the capital and Ahal province who came together to discuss how the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) supports the right of children to grow up in a family environment, one of UNICEF’s key approaches to prevent institutionalisation of children.

”The workshop was useful, particularly the exchange of opinions on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as on improving joint coordinating efforts for the protection of children’s rights at community level. We got a consensus on various aspects of our work relating to children which was based on the principles of the CRC,” said participant Meret Ovezov, Head of the Inspectorate of Juvenile Affairs at the Ministry of Interior.

The second of the two workshops will cover the same topics and will be held from 13-15 September involving 30 officials from Balkan, Dashoguz, Lebap and Mary provinces, so that all Turkmenistan will have been represented in the seminars. Participants come from all the official agencies working in the child protection field countrywide, including the Interior, Welfare and Education Ministries, as well as community-based family support centres and managers of residential care institutions.

The two seminars are part of a long-term regional UN programme which was launched jointly with the Government of Japan, and follow on from a UNICEF-organised Child Rights workshop held in Balkan province in June, which involved children and their guardians from the provincial orphanage.

This month’s workshops, the first to gather together representatives from all relevant agencies and departments to share their views, are also taking place with the full cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Mahboob Shareef, UNICEF Representative in Turkmenistan, said he regarded the seminars as another constructive outcome of the joint collaboration between the Government of Turkmenistan and the United Nations Children’s Fund. UNICEF remains committed to working with the government to help it fulfil its national priorities and international obligations covering children’s rights. [Write up courtesy UNICEF Turkmenistan]

EBRD Holds Training Seminar for Turkmen Bankers
Topic: Economy & business
Ashgabat, 7 September 2005 (nCa) --- A seminar for the bank officers of Turkmenistan, sponsored by RBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), started Tuesday in Ashgabat.

“Course for banks on assistance to international trade” is the title of the seminar and it would continue 5-9 September 2005.

Tony Myron, head of the regional office of EBRD in Turkmenistan delivered the keynote address in the opening session.

The effective assistance of banks to the international trade operations is one of the major factors stimulating the development of economy,” said Myron.

During the seminar, the bankers would be introduced to various models of international cooperation for successful development of national economy and risk free banking.

Baking sector of Turkmenistan is expected to benefit immensely from the seminar because the integration into the international banking system is one of the areas where more needs to be done quickly.

Some basic concepts and procedures such as import-export documents, assessment of loan applications, rules of inter-bank transactions, special letters of credit and various forms of liabilities and guarantees would also be taught during the seminar.

Seminar participants would be required to analyse real-life case studies from European banks to educate them on avoiding banking risks in their work.

SECO of Switzerland, a long term partner of EBRD in Turkmenistan, has provided financial support for the seminar.

The last seminar arranged by EBRD was held in spring 2004.

Turkmenistan Air Force Conducts Tactical Exercises
Topic: Permanent Neutrality
Ashgabat, 6 September 2005 (nCa) --- Turkmen Air Force has conducted tactical exercises in the Mary province where the largest air base of Turkmenistan is located.

The exercise, held under the broad theme ‘Peaceful Skies’, was meant to hone the pilot and ground crew skills in detecting and destroying hostile interference in the air space.

MiG-29 fighter jets and Su-25 attack planes formed the core component of the exercise. Ground support and auxiliary services also participated in the maneuver.

The scenario covered simulated intrusion into the airspace of Turkmenistan, dogfight, and elimination of air and ground threats.

Radio controlled air target was destroyed by air to air missiles during the exercise.

Turkmenistan follows the policy of strict neutrality but an integral element of the policy is that the armed forces of the country should be able to safeguard the borders and repel any attacks.

U.S. Government Donates Laboratory Equipment Worth US $ 100K to Ministry of Interior of Turkmenistan
Topic: Foreign Relations
02.09.2005. A handover ceremony marking the donation of a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GCMS) forensic laboratory instrument from the U.S. Government to Turkmenistan’s Ministry of the Interior was held in Ashgabat on September 1, 2005.

As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports, U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan Tracey Ann Jacobson, Deputy Minister of the Interior Saparberdy Atabayev, representatives of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program (INL) in the U.S. Department of State participated in the ceremony.

According to the U.S. Embassy, INL has been conducting training in Turkmenistan for the past three years. Representatives from the U.S. government facilitated the installation of the GCMS forensic laboratory equipment and provided training to the laboratory staff during their recent visit to the Turkmen capital.

As the U.S. Embassy reports, the value of the GCMS and additional computer and photographic equipment that were donated totals approximately $100,000.

Turkmenistan.Ru

Turkmenistan to participate in CIS as associated member
Topic: Permanent Neutrality
27.08.2005. The CIS summit held Friday in the capital of Tatarstan, Kazan, unanimously adopted a resolution on the basic principles of participation of neutral Turkmenistan in the CIS.

As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru was told in the press service of the republic’s Foreign Ministry, Turkmen leader Saparmurat Niyazov sent a message to the summit participants in which he “made a request to support his position on participation in the CIS as an associated member taking into account Turkmenistan's neutral status.”

According to the Foreign Ministry, the Turkmen president's proposal had been given preliminary support by the participants of a session of the Council of CIS foreign ministries and was then submitted for consideration at the summit of the CIS member states. The initiative of Saparmurat Niyazov on Turkmenistan's new status was wholly supported by all leaders of the CIS member states, the Foreign Ministry emphasized.

President Saparmurat Niyazov on behalf of the Turkmen people and the Turkmen government expressed his sincere gratitude to chairman of the CIS, President Putin of the Russian Federation as well as to other leaders of the CIS member states for their understanding and support.

Turkmenistan.Ru