The four-day event gathered representatives from Central Asia and the South Caucasus region, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia, and experts from Belarus, France, Germany, Hungary, Russia and the United Kingdom.

"Mechanisms developed within the framework of the 1999 Vienna Document are an important part of the confidence- and security-building measures promoted by the OSCE at the regional level," said Jeannette Kloetzer, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana. "The seminar is a good opportunity to to enhance regional co-operation in the field and review the extent to which participating States are implementing the relevant commitments."

Bulat Sembinov, Kazakh Deputy Defence Minister, added: "We are keen to fulfil our OSCE commitments, particularly with regard to the 1999 Vienna Document."

The event is a follow-up of an initiative within the framework of the Regional Arms Control Centre supported by the OSCE Centre in Astana and the Kazakh Defence Ministry to promote military co-operation and foster regional security.