DUSHANBE, October 12, Asia-Plus  -- A bulk of rocket boosters working on solid propellant has been destroyed at demolition ground in Lohour, some 30 kilometers south of Dushanbe, Asia-plus has learned at the OSCE Center in Dushanbe.

This action is part of phase 2 of the OSCE program on small arms and conventional ammunition funded by the governments of Andorra and Slovenia.   

In all 108 rocket boosters destroyed at the demolition ground in Lohour today morning.  Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, Head of the OSCE Center in Dushanbe, Erkin Qosimov, Deputy Foreign Minister, Ramil Nadirov, Deputy Defense Minister, and a number of other Tajik officials attended the destruction of the rocket boosters.   

In 2004, the Tajik Government asked the OSCE to help destroy small arms and light weapons (SALW) and conventional ammunition, and improve the country''s stockpile security and management systems. The OSCE responded with a comprehensive program to destroy surpluses, upgrade storage conditions and reduce the chance of dangerous material falling into the wrong hands.

In August 2005, the Centre and the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation launched a program to destroy 34 tons of surplus ammunition and 26,000 pieces of small arms and light weapons. Nine national experts in explosive ordnance disposal were trained, and an explosive ordnance destruction facility and a SALW destruction facility were built. The Centre also helped refurbish or build seven new storage sites to ensure safe and secure storage of SALW and ammunition. The program was made possible through the financial contributions of Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Tajikistan and the United States.

Following the successful completion of the program''s first phase in November 2006, the Tajik Government asked the OSCE to assist in developing the second phase, which focuses on addressing the problem regionally, including along the Tajik-Afghan border.

Phase two of the program, launched in July 2006, aims to assist in destroying surplus rocket boosters and in building 32 safe storage facilities throughout the country for Tajik law enforcement agencies.  

On June 22, 2006, the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe and the Tajik Interior Ministry today opened a storage and destruction facility for SALW in Dushanbe.

Located at the Ministry''s Material Technical Supply Base, the facility is equipped with special cutting machines. Tajik officers have been trained here to run the facility.

The munitions destruction training centre and demolition ground was opened in Lohour on November 4, 2005.    

Finland, France, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, the USA, and The Netherlands, contributed to the program with donations and training.