Azerbaijan, Turkey hold security workshop

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 2 (UPI) -- Azerbaijani and Turkish border guards recently conducted a workshop in an effort to strengthen cooperation on countering the trafficking of illicit goods.

The two-day workshop, which was set up by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, was designed to bring together border and customs authorities of both Azerbaijan and Turkey to discuss techniques to combat transnational criminal groups trafficking human beings and illicit goods, the OSCE reported.

Officials said that during the workshop, security authorities from Azerbaijan and Turkey, who share responsibility of the Sadarak-Dilucu crossing point, also focused on ways to strengthen cooperation and promote cross-border trade.

"This workshop is intended to give Azerbaijani and Turkish partners a good opportunity to expand on the confidence and trust existing between the agencies," Alexis Chahtahtinsky, acting head of the OSCE office in Baku, Azerbaijan, said in a statement.

"I hope that it will expand the possibilities for exchanging experiences and best practices between the customs, border and police officers serving on both sides of the border."