On 26 November 2015 in Bishkek, the 9th phase of the Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA), together with the 6th phase of the Central Asia Drug Action Programme (CADAP), held a joint conference which marked the official launch of both programmes
For over a decade the programmes have been implemented in the region in parallel, with both targeting the main actual topics on the agenda of Central Asian countries and being flagship initiatives for the European Union.
The core objective of the conference was to present an overview of the new phases of both programmes, elaborate on their key objectives and expected results, and define priorities and joint actions at the regional level.
The event opened with a warm welcome from H.E. Cesare de Montis, Ambassador of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic. In his speech, Ambassador de Montis underlined the regional nature and role of both initiatives. “CADAP and BOMCA can play an important, positive and constructive role in the region by enhancing cooperation between all five Central Asian republics in strategically important areas such as border management, trade facilitation, migration flows, and drug addiction treatment and prevention’’, he said.
The Head of the hosting Kyrgyz Delegation, Deputy Head of Defence, Law Enforcement and Emergency Department of the Prime Minister’s office Mr. Damir Sagynbaev, congratulated the audience on the new start of the programmes and highlighted that BOMCA is considered by the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic one of the largest EU-funded Programmes in the security area. “The Kyrgyz Republic and European Union have ample cooperation experience, based on partnership, trust and mutual respect”, he said.
The event gathered together over a hundred participants including representatives of the key beneficiary agencies of both programmes, namely border security, customs, and migration agencies, as well as representatives of other stakeholders, such as embassies of the CA countries, EU Member States, and international organisations involved in the implementation of activities in the area of border management.
By offering opportunities to meet, discuss and exchange expertise and professional opinions, the conference was the next step towards strengthening the regional platform on border management and promoting cooperation and interaction among partners and stakeholders.