Sharing of Knowledge and Skills
The 5th meeting of heads of capital divisions of Interior Ministries of CIS participating states took place in the capital, bringing together representatives from various CIS participating states and a representative from the Bureau for Coordination of Combating Organized Crime and Other Dangerous Crimes. The meeting, chaired by the head of the Astana Police Department, Marat Tulebayev, was an opportunity for discussions on maintaining public order and international cooperation.
During the meeting, issues of cooperation in ensuring public safety were discussed, with a particular focus on combating organized crime and strengthening coordination among law enforcement agencies across member states. The meeting emphasized the growing challenges of organized crime, urban security, and public order in large metropolitan centers, highlighting the need for joint efforts to share intelligence and best practices for effective policing in complex urban environments.
Key trends discussed included enhanced inter-agency cooperation within the CIS framework to tackle transnational organized crime affecting megacities. Participants also promoted joint operational initiatives and the exchange of information to better respond to security threats in densely populated urban areas. The importance of multilateral collaboration to address the challenges posed by rapid urbanization, including crime prevention and maintaining public order, was also recognized.
Representatives from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan were present, and Minister of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan, Erjan Sadenov, attended the international forum. Oleg Konovalov, the Director of the Bureau for Coordination of Combating Organized Crime and Other Dangerous Crimes, also attended the meeting.
The meeting underscored that maintaining public order in megacities requires adapting strategies to the unique complexities of large urban centers where crime patterns and social dynamics differ significantly from smaller or rural areas. There was also recognition of the evolving nature of threats, demanding continuous improvement in cooperation mechanisms among Interior Ministries.
In addition to discussions on organized crime, participants also addressed security during mass events, illegal drug trafficking, and trends and challenges in combating crime in megacities. Proposals for strengthening cooperation in specific areas of activity were developed as a result of the discussions. The meeting provided a platform for exchanging results and practices in maintaining law and order.
The meeting concluded with a strong emphasis on the importance of international cooperation in maintaining public order, particularly in the context of rapidly expanding and complex megacities. The focus on organized crime and multilateral coordination for megacity security clearly stands out as a priority within CIS states’ international cooperation agenda. No detailed publicly available official communique with a full list of resolutions or specific operational steps was found in the sources, but the discussions underscore the commitment of CIS states to addressing these critical issues.
The meeting also highlighted the recognition of youth engagement and volunteer movements as part of broader social stability efforts. The CIS Youth Cooperation Strategy and volunteer forums planned for 2026 were showcased as examples of this approach.
In summary, the current issues and trends in international cooperation discussed involve combating organized crime, improving inter-state law enforcement collaboration, incorporating youth and volunteer engagement, and adapting to the challenges inherent to maintaining public order in rapidly expanding and complex megacities.
- The discussions during the meeting highlighted the importance of strengthening cybersecurity measures to combat organized crime, given the increasing use of technology in criminal activities.
- The meetings emphasized the need for politics to play a role in shaping the general-news narrative, ensuring that the public is informed about the challenges and solutions in maintaining public order, particularly in megacities.
- The exchange of information and best practices between law enforcement agencies was seen as crucial in addressing crime-and-justice issues in megacities, particularly in relation to illegal drug trafficking and security during mass events.
