P101: Enhancement of CBRN Critical Infrastructure Protection and Security (including Cybersecurity) in Central Asia, Southeast and Eastern Europe and Middle East.

Between 17 and 19 February 2025, the CBRN CoE P101 project team carried out a Technical Assessment Mission in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, engaging with key national stakeholders to examine the state of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Critical Infrastructure protection and security (including cybersecurity).

Hosted by the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan’s CBRN Safety & Security Agency (CBRN SSA), the mission aimed to map existing institutional and regulatory frameworks, assess both physical security and cybersecurity measures at CBRN facilities, identify gaps in current capabilities, and lay the groundwork for enhanced cooperation and capacity-building efforts.

Collaboration with key national stakeholders, including the CBRN SSA of Tajikistan and the ISTC Tajikistan Branch Office (TBO), proved instrumental in gaining valuable insights into the country’s CBRN risk management landscape. The mission not only fostered meaningful exchanges with national experts but also set the stage for the establishment of a dedicated national expert pool in legal, security, and cybersecurity domains.

Moving forward, the project will focus on comprehensive desk research, targeted stakeholder consultations, and field visits, all contributing to the development of a Technical Assessment Report (TAR). This report will present tailored recommendations to strengthen the protection and security of CBRN Critical Infrastructure, with a particular emphasis on cybersecurity resilience. In addition to guiding national and regional security enhancements, the TAR will serve as a foundation for designing targeted training programs to be implemented during the project’s implementation phase, ensuring that capacity-building efforts are precisely aligned with the identified needs and gaps.

We are profoundly appreciative of the exceptional cooperation demonstrated by our Tajik partners, whose commitment is pivotal in advancing the protection of critical infrastructures for both national and regional security.

The P101 project is implemented by the ISTC (International Science and Technology Center) – under the EUCBRNCOE initiative, led by the Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) of the EU, with support from UNICRI - United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute.