Border management and security in Central Asia are a major challenge for the region with direct effects on European countries. Various national and international stakeholders are active in providing support to Central Asia governments in order to update their border management approaches and to effectively cooperate with neighbouring countries and international partners.

The Central Asia Border Security Initiative (CABSI) was founded in 2003 by the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior as a platform for dialogue and discussion on border management activities in Central Asia for all stakeholders in the areas of border management and drug control in Central Asia. Objectives of CABSI have been developed further to promote a comprehensive and sustainable integrated border management approach in the region to improve border security and facilitate trade and movement of people as a way to promote economic development.

CABSI brings together EU member states led by Austria and includes Finland, France, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Croatia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, and the USA as an associate partner.

CABSI meetings take place once a year in Central Asia to discuss current border management and security activities and possible future cooperation in the area of border management. The meetings are organized by the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior, which serves as secretariat for CABSI, in close cooperation with the European Commission and the BOMCA programme office.

It was at the suggestion of the Central Asia Border Security Initiative that the European Commission initiated the Border Management in Central Asia (BOMCA) Programme in 2003. Each year the CABSI Consortium meets to review the progress of BOMCA with its five Central Asia partner countries.

In March 2012 at the initiative of the Austrian Federal Minister of the Interior, the Ministers and senior officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as well as Afghanistan, the European Union, the Russian Federation, the United States of America and high-level representatives of other states and of international organisations contributing to border security in Central Asia met in the framework of the 10th Ministerial CABSI Conference on 16 and 17 April 2012 in Vienna.

The aim of this 10th Conference of CABSI, exceptionally held at Ministerial level, was to underline the political importance of security and stability in Central Asia and the regional and global implications. Taking note of the Dushanbe Border Security Conference in 2008, the Ministers acknowledged that CABSI is an important forum to exchange information and to coordinate international activities in assisting Central Asian states in their efforts and facilitating regional cooperation. Ministers emphasised that CABSI is an important tool to promote a sustainable and integrated border management approach, as well as to facilitate legitimate trade between countries and movement of persons and to ensure the management of migration flows while simultaneously encouraging economic development.

The participants notably recognised the contribution made by the Central Asian states, the Russian Federation, the United States of America as well as other states, the United Nations, the European Union, the OSCE and other international institutions in strengthening border security of Central Asian states and their efforts to enhance regional cooperation facilitating coordination and exchange of information between Central Asian states including migration issues.

Documents:

Agenda

CABSI Ministerial Declaration