From 10 to 12 March, a regional seminar organised by the OSCE was held in Ashgabat. The event was dedicated to issues of international humanitarian assistance to refugees, migrants and stateless persons. This was reported by the news website Asmannews.

The event was attended by representatives of five Central Asian countries — border and customs officials, as well as representatives of migration, law enforcement agencies and relevant ministries.

The opening ceremony was addressed by the Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, representatives of the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan and the German Embassy. The Head of the OSCE Centre, William Leaf, stressed that the growth of cross-border mobility requires strengthening international cooperation and developing safe and humane migration policies.

Participants discussed international experience in providing assistance to refugees, migrants and stateless persons, taking into account human rights principles as well as gender and age aspects. Experts from the OSCE, UNHCR, the International Organisation for Migration and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development took part in the discussions.

The seminar was held as part of the OSCE Centre's project to strengthen the capacity of the State Border Service of Turkmenistan with financial support from the German government.