The EU and Dushanbe discuss radicalism in Central Asia

A seminar organised recently by the European Union delegation and the Tajik government brought together politicians, law enforcement specialists and representatives of civil society to exchange knowledge and strengthen cooperation in response to the growing threat of violent acts motivated by extremism.

Dushanbe (AsiaNews) - On 4-5 June, the European Commission's Foreign Policy Instruments Service (FPI) met in Dushanbe with the local EU representation, the organisation Rusi Europe, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General's Office of Tajikistan for a seminar to discuss the fight against violent extremism and the necessary actions.

The meeting brought together politicians, law enforcement specialists and representatives of civil society with the aim of exchanging knowledge and strengthening cooperation to respond to the growing threats of radicalisation and violent actions motivated by extremism. As noted by Raimundas Karoblis, Lithuanian Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Tajikistan, "violent extremism is not an abstract concept, it is a global threat with very specific consequences at every local level', a phenomenon that “endangers peaceful coexistence, inflames social conflicts and prevents all groups from realising their human potential and joint development projects”.

The EU assures that it is available to ‘work side by side’ with Tajikistan to support ‘secure, sustainable and inclusive’ development throughout Central Asia. Karoblis assured that Europeans intend to present themselves ‘not only as partners for security, but also as partners for peace,’ congratulating Tajikistan and the EU on their shared understanding of the risks posed by the current situation and the measures to be taken.

During the seminar, various current issues in Tajikistan were analysed, and political responses were also discussed. The discussion highlighted the main forces of violent extremism, the prospects for supporting Tajik youth, the role of regional and municipal administrative bodies, and the need to keep Tajik fighters in foreign organisations who return home separate, finding ways to deradicalise them and reintegrate them into society.

The hottest topics highlighted were “online radicalisation”, with the use of digital platforms, the importance of cooperation between neighbouring countries to support the reintegration of migrant workers who constantly cross borders, and the development of effective counter-narratives to those that attract people to violent radical expressions. International research on these issues helped to better contextualise these reflections, and among the speakers, the presentations on the experience of Indonesia, which is also focused on the deradicalisation of its migrant workers, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which illustrated the various profiling measures at the level of associations and groups of various kinds in the country, were particularly significant.

The seminar offered several interactive group exercises, which allowed participants to apply highly effective prevention strategies, focusing on the many cases in different regions. The importance of cooperation between state and international bodies was emphasised, starting with the European Union's constant support for social inclusion policies and the development of the positive potential of all forms of association.

These approaches involve the whole of society in such sensitive issues, placing greater trust in partnerships within social life and in openness to those existing in other countries. The EU ensures increasingly active and wide-ranging participation by all Central Asian countries in the pursuit of security, stability and sustainable development for all sections of the local population.