A regional seminar and comprehensive training course for national data centers (NDCs) has kicked off in Ashgabat. Twenty-five NDC representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are participating in the seminar, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

The training was organized by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in cooperation with the Government of Turkmenistan, the Institute of Seismology and Atmospheric Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan and the National Data Center of Turkmenistan.

The goal of the training is to strengthen the NDC's capacity and improve the effective use of International Monitoring System (IMS) data and International Data Centre (IDC) products in support of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty verification regime. The training will run until June 12.

The program includes training on accessing and analyzing IMS data, operating the NDC-in-a-Box software suite, and using seismic analysis tools such as SeisComP and Geotool. Participants will also visit the National Data Center of Turkmenistan.

The seminar coincides with the visit of CTBTO Executive Secretary Robert Floyd to Ashgabat, where he is participating in a high-level event commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. During his visit, he is expected to meet with seminar participants and discuss the role of national data centers in supporting the CTBT's global verification system.