Major-General Talgat Yessetov, Head of Border Guard Academy, Ursula Fahringer, Ambassador of the Austrian Republic to Kazakhstan, Marko Velikonja, Transnational Criminal Affairs Officer from the U.S. Embassy to Kazakhstan and Josef Schuetzenhofer, Head of the Canine Center of the Austrian Ministry of Interior made opening remarks at the Conference.

Heads of delegations from all participating countries (all Central Asian states, Azerbaijan, Belarussia, Russian Federation, and Ukraine) are expected to make presentations on problems and prospects of developing canine services in their countries.

Dog handling training sessions organized by the EU-UNDP BOMCA Programme have proved to be important elements to border security. BOMCA conducts regular three-month training courses for border guards and customs dog handlers from Central Asia at two BOMCA regional dog training hubs, Almaty and Tashkent, to upgrade the participants' practical and theoretical knowledge of dogs handling techniques in search of drugs and explosives (for border guards), as well as inspection of vehicles and passengers' baggage (for customs inspectors).

The overall objectives of BOMCA are to help increase security in the Central Asian region, to contribute toward the facilitation of legitimate trade and transit, and to reduce the illicit movement of goods and people.

The EU-UNDP BOMCA assistance programme is funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP.

For additional information, please contact Amir Yelchibekov, BOMCA Country Manager in Astana at (+7701) 532 02 64 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Asel Sekimova, BOMCA Regional Communication Specialist in Bishkek, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (+996 312) 31 73 83