Madrid/Oviedo, Spain — 22–26 September 2025. The Turkmen delegation is taking part in a study visit to Spain, organized within the framework of the EU-funded Central Asia Drug Action Programme – Phase 7 (CADAP 7). The visit is being carried out with the support of CADAP in cooperation with the Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas (FIAP), the Government Delegation for the National Plan on Drugs (DGPNSD) under the Spanish Ministry of Health, and the Directorate-General for Public Health and Mental Health Care of Asturias.
Together with representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the Turkmen delegates are participating in activities in Madrid and Asturias, exchanging knowledge and experience in the implementation of evidence-based drug demand reduction strategies. Over five days, participants meet with Spanish policymakers, practitioners, and health professionals, exploring innovative approaches in prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and rehabilitation.
The program includes institutional meetings at the Spanish Ministry of Health, visits to the San Isidro Shelter and the Madroño Mobile Unit in Madrid, an introduction to harm reduction services at Cañada Real, and a working session at the Intelligence Centre for Counterterrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO). In Asturias, the delegation visits community-based initiatives such as the ACDA Addiction Treatment Centre in Avilés, the Proyecto Hombre Asturias program in Gijón, and the Drug Addiction Treatment Unit in Oviedo.
The study visit serves as a platform for peer-to-peer learning, strengthening institutional capacities, and fostering future cooperation between Central Asian countries and their European counterparts. The insights and practical knowledge gained during the visit are expected to contribute to enhancing national strategies to address drug-related challenges in Turkmenistan and across Central Asia.
