The first meeting of the coordination group on aviation security will be held in Almaty from April 27 to 28, 2023, based on the ICAO Training Center for Aviation Security, with participation from representatives of aviation authorities from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Previously, based on the decisions of the International Conference on Aviation Security and Regional Cooperation, conference participants and representatives of authorized civil aviation authorities supported the cooperation initiative and the formation of the Aviation Security Coordinating Group.
The gathering is the second meeting of Central Asian and Caucasus region countries organized by Kazakhstan to address new aviation security challenges and threats. The ongoing aviation security work will also aid, for example, in opening flights from Kazakhstan to the United States.
The Aviation Security Coordinating Group is an advisory body for an effective mechanism to promote and assist participating states in achieving the key priorities of the ICAO Global Aviation Security Plan and quality implementation of ICAO standards and recommended practices, achieving a high level of aviation security through mutual information exchange and assistance.
The following issues were discussed within the framework of the meeting: capacity building, development of a standard policy (plan) aimed at achieving the overall benefits of the coordination group member states, including practical and timely implementation of ICAO standards and recommended practices in the Central Asian region and the Caucasus, the election of the ICAO Aviation Security Co-chairman and Secretary, and approval of the coordination group regulations.
Talgat Lastayev, the chairman of the Civil Aviation Committee of the MIID RK, was elected as the chairman of the coordination group on aviation security.
As part of implementing the ICAO Global Plan on Aviation Security, the coordination group's work will be another step toward fostering positive relationships and cooperation between the aviation administrations of our nations. This will help to improve the system of protection of civil aviation from acts of unlawful interference.
For reference, a symposium on aviation security and regional cooperation was conducted in Aktau between August 11 and 12, 2022, at Kazakhstan's initiative. A declaration and a memorandum of cooperation were adopted as a result of the meeting.