Central Asians committed to dog training - Kazakh official

    The five Central Asian countries are all committed to training dogs to help fight terrorism and drug trafficking despite various challenges, a Kazakhstani official told UN Radio's Russian service in an interview published November 6.
    The UN Development Programme in Kazakhstan has been helping train the dogs for 10 years, Amir Yelchibekov, Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA) Kazakhstan country manager, said.
    BOMCA conducts three-month-long training courses for Central Asian dog handlers and their dogs, Yelchibekov said, adding that the Uzbek customs service hosts the courses in Tashkent. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan co-operate in dog training, he said.
    Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan face economic hardships, but foreign aid enables them to train their dogs, he added, according to Central Asia Online.