Enhancing Military Transparency: International Seminar on the Vienna Document 2011 was held in Almaty as part of Confidence and Security-Building Measures

From 22 to 24 April 2025, the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, in co-operation with the Centre for Arms Control and Inspection Support and the Kazakhstan Peace Operations Centre (KAZCENT) of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and with the support of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, and the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, organized a three-day international seminar in Almaty to enhance understanding and implementation of the Vienna Document 2011 on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures. 

The seminar brought together 52 military officers and experts (5 women and 47 men) from Azerbaijan, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the United States, as well as representatives from the OSCE Secretariat’s Conflict Prevention Centre (CPC) and the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. 

Experts from Verification Centres of various participating States of the OSCE shared their practical experience in organizing and conducting inspections and evaluation visits under the Vienna Document framework. The seminar included in-depth presentations, interactive group work simulating inspection scenarios, and a field visit to the 35th Guards Air Assault Brigade in Konayev city, offering participants a practical perspective on transparency measures in action. 

The programme highlighted Kazakhstan’s proactive role in implementing the Vienna Document 2011 as well as promoting regional co-operation in Central Asia and the OSCE region as a whole.

“Peace is not established through treaties alone but is maintained through transparency and trust. These are precisely the two values that the Vienna Document puts into practical application,” said Yuri Fenopetov, Acting Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana.

“For our Office, holding such seminars is not only a contribution to regional security, but also a platform for dialogue among representatives of the armed forces of Central Asia and neighbouring regions. Our aim is not merely to discuss the Vienna Document, but to strengthen it as a living mechanism of co-operation,” he added. 

The Vienna Document 2011 remains an important instruments within the OSCE politico-military dimension, aimed at enhancing transparency and reducing the risk of military conflict through the exchange of information, prior notifications, and verification mechanisms. The seminar is part of the Office’s broader efforts to support confidence- and security-building measures and promote stability and trust across the OSCE area.