Azernews.Az

The OSCE reported that some 70 military officers from 29 OSCE participating States start a four-day visit to Kazakhstan to inspect military air bases in the country.

The visit is conducted under the Vienna Document 2011 that envisages information sharing and regular visits of the OSCE participating States' representatives to each other's military bases.

Military officers from OSCE participating States are scheduled to visit an air base in Karaganda, central Kazakhstan, and the Air Assault Brigade Base in Astana.

"The visit to Kazakhstan aims to promote the sharing of information, including details on the number of air sorties and the types of missions conducted, with the ultimate goal to enhance mutual trust and military transparency," OSCE said.

The military installations in Karaganda and Astana will be also visited by representatives of the inter-governmental organization Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia.

"Air base visits are convened under the Vienna Document once every five years, which makes this week's event an exceptionally important one. The transparent demonstration by the OSCE participating states of their military capabilities and resources is designed to promote and enhance trust between them, as well as to strengthen peace and stability in our region and beyond, " Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana, Ambassador Natalia Zarudna said at a military briefing.

"Mechanisms the OSCE has developed and updated continue to play an important role in shaping a Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security community based on the concept of comprehensive, co-operative, equal and indivisible security," Kazakhstan's Deputy Defence Minister Bagdat Maikeev said.

This is the first time when officers from Mongolia, the newest participating State in the OSCE, will take part in an air base visit in the framework of the Vienna Document.

The OSCE Centre in Astana has been organizing events in support of the Vienna Document in Kazakhstan since 2007. The visit is part of the Centre's long-standing efforts to promote OSCE confidence- and security-building Measures and regional security.