DUSHANBE (Avesta news agency) – The issue of ratification of an agreement between Tajikistan and NATO on physical security and stockpile management has been removed from the agenda of today’s sitting of the fourth session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (مجلس نمایندگان, Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) of the fourth convocation.

Open storage of aircraft bombs

Poor security and inadequate stockpile management

In 2009, Tajikistan requested NATO assistance for Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM). A feasibility study was carried out on behalf of UK and Japan. The latter funded the study. On 31^st January 2012, a signing ceremony was held for Implementing Agreement and Executing Agent Agreement.

As a consequence of the 1992-97 civil war in Tajikistan, there are many safety and security problems related to weapons and ammunition. Various international organizations and one NGO have been working to assist the Tajik Authorities in recent years, including OSCE, UNDP, the US DoD’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the NGO Fondation Suisse de Déminage (FSD). Much of this has focussed on demining or securing the known stocks of munitions. There are many poorly guarded weapons and ammunition stores in the southern border region as well as caches of munitions that are unknown to the Tajik authorities.

The purpose of this project is to improve the physical security and stockpile management of ammunition in Tajikistan, and in particular to help secure the ammunition stocks close to Tajikistan’s southern border with Afghanistan. Securing the stocks will help to prevent illicit cross-border trade in munitions and strengthen the security of the state.

The project includes the recruitment, training and deployment of a Weapons and Ammunition Disposal (WAD) Team that will work with government agencies and local communities to locate and destroy redundant and unserviceable munitions and, where necessary, relocate serviceable stocks to secure storage locations. The team will also conduct a survey of ammunition storage locations in the southern border region and recommend safety and security improvements. The WAD team would operate for 12 months.

The project estimated costs are €575,000. The donors have already guaranteed €208,000 but funds required to start the project are at least €500,000.