ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan -

An international seminar «Central Asia and global challenges», organized by the United Nations Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), took place in Ashgabat on 10-11 March, 2009.

The seminar was attended by representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Germany, Iran, Turkey, Russia, France, Slovakia and USA.

The aim of the seminar was to ensure a profound exchange of views on what impact the global processes may have on the development of the situation in Central Asia, to forecast its dynamics, and to look for ways to address current and potential threats and challenges.

The seminar provided an opportunity to representatives from regional institutes for strategic studies, academic and expert circles of Central Asia as well as international experts and political scientists to discuss such topical issues as regional security, impact of global financial and economic crisis on political and socio-economic processes in the region as well as existing problems of energy and environmental security.