Conference on Central Asian security held

KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- A conference hosted by the Afghan government designed to facilitate cooperation on countering security threats in Central Asia concluded Monday.

The conference brought together leaders from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Central Asian countries, along with Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Mongolia, to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation and address ongoing threats from militants operating in Central Asia, the OSCE reported.

Participants during the two-day conference discussed ways to enhance border security and strengthen ties between law enforcement agencies throughout the Central Asia region, among other initiatives.

"We applaud the OSCE Secretariat initiatives that strengthen border security and management, foster cross-border cooperation between the Central Asian participating states and Afghanistan, and enhance national law enforcement capacities," Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Afghanistan's foreign minister, said in a statement.