ASHGABAD, Turkmenistan, May 30 (UPI) -- Countering terrorism, organized crime and the illicit weapons trade was the focus of a training workshop that concluded Friday in Turkmenistan.
The two-week training, organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, was part of a security cooperation program with Turkmenistan designed to enhance counter-terrorism capabilities, the OSCE reported.
Officials say the training, which included courses on security checks and X-ray interpretation to identify threats, was an effort to build on previous training conducted in 2006 and 2007. The training also detailed new and evolving threats to Turkmenistan.
"Terrorist and criminal activity is constantly changing, creating an immense challenge for law-enforcement officials to remain up-to-date with new threats and incidents," Stewart Hanson, a consultant and an instructor for the course, said in a statement.
"This course will help Turkmenistan meet International Civil Aviation Organization recommendations, which reflect the changing environment."
Officials say additional counter-terrorism training in Turkmenistan has been scheduled.
