The European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centres of Excellence (EU CBRN CoE) Regional Secretariat for Central Asia convened its 20th Round Table Meeting on 7 March 2024 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The meeting was a pivotal platform for fostering collaboration, exchanging insights, and strategizing initiatives to enhance CBRN safety and security in the Central Asia region.
The event commenced with welcoming remarks delivered by Mr. Bakhtiyor Gulyamov, Head of the Secretariat for Central Asia, Mr. Sorin Popa, CBRN CoE Programme Manager for Central Asia , and Mr. Wim Riepma, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union in Uzbekistan.
Moderated by Mr. Bakhtiyor Gulyamov, Head of the CBRN COE Regional Secretariat for Central Asia, the meeting included a comprehensive update on activities and engagement with partners, including a recap of the 2024 Heads of Secretariats Meeting, highlighting key achievements and planned interventions for 2024. Further, the meeting proceeded with a comprehensive presentation on the revised Needs Assessment Questionnaire (NAQ) and a discussion on the progress of National Action Plans (NAPs) in Central Asia.
The CBRN National Focal Points for Central Asia also discussed ideas for potential projects, looking into mitigating biological risks in the region, with emergency medical response being among the priorities of regional scope. Lastly, meeting participants elaborated on capacity-building required to strengthen export control measures and foster regional cooperation in preventing the proliferation of dual-use goods and technologies.
The round table meeting of National Focal Points for Central Asia reaffirmed the importance of collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships in addressing the evolving challenges of CBRN security.
Background information:
The EU CBRN CoE Initiative is a global Initiative funded and implemented by the European Union as part of its goal to promote peace, stability and conflict prevention. The aim of the Initiative is to mitigate risks and strengthen an all-hazards security governance in Partner Countries of the EU following a voluntary and demand-driven approach. The EU support is provided to implement a wide range of CBRN risk mitigation activities including needs and risk assessments, national and regional action plans, capacity-building activities, legal framework reviews, table top and real time (including cross-border) field exercises, inter-regional exchange of best practices and lessons learnt.
Funded and implemented through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe, the Initiative is led by the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), in close coordination with the European External Action Service (EEAS). The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides technical support to Partner Countries, while the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) ensures a coherent and effective national, regional and international cooperation. Other relevant International and/or Regional Organisations and experts also contribute to the Initiative, which represents the EU’s largest civilian external security programme. The Initiative involves 64 countries in eight regions across the world.
