VIENNA, Austria -

On 16-17 April, Ambassador Miroslav Jenča, SRSG and Head of UNRCCA, participated in the Ministerial Conference of the Central Asia Border Security Initiative (CABSI) in Vienna. The two day event organized by the Austrian Interior Ministry, UNODC, EU and UNDP focused on fight against organized crime, including drug trafficking, corruption and illegal migration, while promoting economic cooperation through integrated border management. Special attention was on the impact on the border security of the planned withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan.

In his presentation the SRSG underlined border management as an important element in preventive diplomacy. He also mentioned the Memorandum of Understanding on Sub-regional Drug Control Cooperation signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan back in 1996 in Tashkent as a vital political and legally-binding document and as an important tool for promoting regional counter-narcotics cooperation.

On the margins of the event the SRSG met with the Secretary General of the OSCE, Lamberto Zannier, UNDP Associate Administrator Rebeca Grynspan and other senior officials. He also had a meeting with Executive Director of UNODC and Director-General of the UN Office in Vienna, Yury Fedotov.