Ashgabat, Turkmenistan  

On 20 February, the BOMCA (Border Management Programme in Central Asia) Regional Steering Group Meeting with participation of all five Central Asian states, the Embassies of the European Union (EU) based in the region as well as UNRCCA and UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) took place in Ashgabat. The meeting was opened by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Ms. Myakhri Byashimova. 

Funded by the EU, BOMCA is aimed at increasing security and stability in the region by fostering sustainable economic development through integrated border management. The 10^th phase of the Programme, launched in 2021, focuses on institutional development of border control agencies, improvement of detection capacities, facilitation of legitimate trade flows, and improvement of cross-border cooperation in  border areas.

Participants of the meeting reviewed border-related trends in the region, and the activities of the 10^th phase of the Programme. They also made recommendations for the 11^th phase of BOMCA, which should be launched soon.     

In its intervention, UNRCCA, recalling that the engagement with BOMCA was based on the Joint Plan of Action for the Implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia, particularly emphasized the importance of continued interaction under the Counter-Terrorism Early Warning Network for Central Asia initiative.