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The 9^th phase of the EU-funded Programme on Border Management in Central Asia (BOMCA) held its closing event to summarise the achievements from over the five years of its implementation. The Regional Steering Group meeting and the Final Conference, held online, gathered over 100 high-level representatives of the BOMCA implementing Consortium, national border management agencies in Central Asia, EU Delegations, international organisations, and EU MS Embassies. During the final event, BOMCA presented and disseminated the project’s results and tools for further strengthening border management, migration governance, and trade facilitation measures in the Central Asian region.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU-funded Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA) handed over personal protective equipment (PPE) to the State Border Service of the Kyrgyz Republic. The PPE includes 2000 KN95-filtering respirators, 2000 nitrile gloves, 800 litres of antiseptics, 50 face shields and 300 full-body gowns, which will now be distributed to the border guard units. 

As part of European Union’s (EU) assistance to Kazakhstan’s COVID-19 response efforts, the EU-funded Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA) handed over today the essential personal protective equipment to the Border Service of the National Security Committee, State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance and Veterinary Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The equipment includes 150 sets of full-body protective suits (gowns, face shields, respirator masks, boot covers, gloves), and six handheld medical thermal imagers.

The joint webinar series (online seminars) is organized by the EU-BOMCA Programme, in collaboration with OSCE, GIZ, and US INL project, and aimed to support key border agencies of Central Asia in advancing border management responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series includes webinars broadcasted in Uzbekistan (29/06), Turkmenistan (09/07), and Kazakhstan (10/07).

The Border Troops of the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan are now better equipped to respond to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is thanks to the provision of personal protective equipment by the EU-funded BOMCA Programme, which includes 830 protective suits, 1 000 antiseptic sprays, and 15 000 facemasks.  The protective items will be used to reduce the exposure to health risks faced by the frontline border guards responsible for providing control functions at the state border.

On June 10, the EU-funded Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA) has donated personal protective equipment for 9,692 EUR to the Customs Service of the Republic of Tajikistan for further distribution to the staff serving at the border crossing points. The equipment includes 9,000 nitrile gloves, 9,000 surgery masks, 750 antiseptic sprays, and 2 medical thermal imagers. This assistance goes in addition to the donation that BOMCA handed over earlier to the Border Troops of Tajikistan (3,500 sets of protective medical items) and to the State Committee for Food Security of Tajikistan (3,500 specialised sets). 

On May 22, the EU-funded Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA) has donated five air conditioners for 127,500 KGS to the State Border Service of the Kyrgyz Republic. This step will help to improve the working conditions of the border guards who remain at the forefront of the fight against the spread of coronavirus.

Witing the framework of support to border management agencies of Central Asia in undertaking prevention measures against the COVID-19 outbreak, BOMCA Programme delivered 3 500 specialized protective medical sets (masks and gloves and antiseptic liquids) to the Border Troops of State Committee for National Security of Tajikistan. Protective sets will be used by border officers serving at the border, allowing them to safely perform their duties and to prevent possible contamination and further spreading of the virus.