Uzbekistan delegation led by the Chairman of the State Committee for Industrial Safety – Head of the EU CBRN CoE Regional Secretariat for Central Asia B. Gulyamov took part as observers in the inter-agency Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear field exercise “ARZ 2021” with the participation of representatives of international organizations, in Beirut, Lebanon.

According to the Press Service of the State Committee on Industrial Safety of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the goal was to familiarize and exchange experience of joint actions of units of security forces to prevent and suppress chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

The exercises were carried out according to the following plan:

organizing a briefing on the prevention and suppression of chemical and biological threats of a terrorist nature;

conducting theoretical classes on organizing the work of the joint operational headquarters, designed to coordinate the actions of the Lebanese security forces in the performance of tasks;

practical actions of the relevant Lebanese divisions to identify raw materials for the manufacture of strong toxic substances, liquidate an underground laboratory, arrest criminals and neutralize an explosive device with a chemical poisonous substance at an object with a massive presence of people, as well as evacuate people and provide first aid to victims;

summing up and defining tasks to further improve the interaction of Lebanese security forces.

The exercise was led by the EU CBRN CoE Regional Coordinator for the Middle East and the National Coordinator of the Initiative in Lebanon with the support of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), in cooperation with the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), Fondazione SAFE and EU CBRN CoE field assistance experts.

The exercise is funded by the Directorate General of the European Commission’s Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) under the above Initiative and aims to build the capacity of the ministries and agencies involved and their interagency coordination and cooperation to prevent, detect and counter terrorism at the national level.

The two scenarios of the exercise simulated the following situations:

Scenario 1: Illicit hazardous material storage and terrorist laboratory to produce chemical and biological warfare agents, dirty bombs and explosive devices.

Scenario 2: Attack on a VIP convoy using chemical materials and explosive devices.

The participants included representatives from different sectors, institutions and agencies, including the Beirut Fire Fighters, the Civil Defence, the Internal Security Forces, the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission, the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Red Cross. Each participant played a specific role in the simulation of real incidents, showing the different phases of a terrorism emergency which involve chemical, radiological and nuclear materials.

Experts from the security forces of France, Italy and Germany were involved to assess the exercises.

Representatives from international partner organizations and countries attended as observers, namely from the European Union, the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), the CBRN CoE network, Canada, the United States, the League of Arab States and the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS).

A demonstration of the deployment of a mobile CBRN laboratory and decontamination and degassing tent complex was also shown.

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In accordance with the instruction, a similar exercise called “Jeyran” was held on 13-14 November 2019 on the territory of the Civil Protection Institute of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Uzbekistan. At the event, the joint actions of the units of the security structures of the country were worked out to prevent and suppress chemical and biological threats of a terrorist nature. The exercises were observed by the heads of the Regional Secretariats of the EU CBRN CoE, leading international organizations and heads of security agencies from 15 countries of Europe, Africa and Asia (50 people in total).

Over 250 security forces personnel and employees of relevant ministries and agencies took part in the exercise. 235 units of special equipment were used.

According to observers and international experts, “Jeyran” exercise was recognized as the best in Central Asia and one of the most successful in the world.

UzA