Emergencies Ministers Of Central Asian Region To Meet In Dushanbe

On Friday the heads of emergencies ministries and departments of the Central Asian region will meet in Dushanbe to discuss rendering humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan and neighbouring states, the press service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry told RIA Novosti on Thursday. The meeting will be attended by the Emergencies Ministers of Tajikstan, Kirghizia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenia and Russia. Russian Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu will head the Russian delegation. There are plans to discuss these countries' coordination and cooperation in the delivery of humanitarian cargoes: opening and using air spaces and air fields, creating favourable conditions for transportation by rail and cars, and cargo security. The sides will consider cooperation with UN humanitarian institutions and other international non-governmental organisations, and the provision of security to participants in the humanitarian action. Before flying out to Dushanbe, Yury Brazhnikov, deputy emergencies minister of Russia, said that, "actually, the discussion will concern the formation of a regional humanitarian coalition to implement bilateral and multilateral humanitarian programmes." The press service reported that consultations with Afghan representatives on the targeted delivery of humanitarian aid had also been scheduled.