In a statement read out to the press by Ambassador Baki Ilkin of Turkey, which holds the rotating Council presidency for this month, the 15-member body also welcomed the briefing it received today by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative Miroslav Jenca.

Mr. Jenca heads the Centre, which was established in 2007 to help the countries of the region - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - respond more proactively to cross-border challenges and threats, such as terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime and environmental degradation, before they become costlier and more difficult to control.

He briefed the Council in a closed-door session on the activities of the Centre, located in the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, over the past six months.

Earlier this year, in an interview with the UN News Centre, Mr. Jenca stated the region has been hit particularly hard by the ongoing global financial crisis, which has resulted in currency devaluation, curtailing of projects due to lack of funds, and a decrease in remittances.

Another major challenge for the region is water management and energy supplies, areas in which the Centre is particularly active in assisting countries find durable solutions.