UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 23-- The UN Security Council on Friday stressed the need for cooperation and coordination between governments in Central Asia and regional organizations to strengthen peace, stability and sustainable development in the region.

In a statement to the press, the 15-member body underlined the need for governments to collaborate with the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), and acknowledged the role of the UN regional office in assisting those countries to respond to domestic and transnational threats to peace.

The UNRCCA was established in 2007 in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. It assists and supports the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in finding solutions to emerging problems and eliminating potential threats.

The statement followed a briefing on Wednesday by the secretary-general's special representative and head of UNRCCA, Miroslav Jenca, on the work of the center over the past seven months.

"The members of the Security Council reaffirmed the importance of conflict prevention tools in contributing effectively to the maintenance of international peace and security, including through early-warning mechanisms and engaging in preventive diplomacy, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations," the statement said.

UNRCCA's recent efforts aimed at engaging the media in the fight against terrorism, raising awareness, capacity building and promoting information sharing were also commended.

Recognizing the threat posed by illicit drug production, trade and trafficking to international peace and stability in the region, the council also emphasized the importance of close coordination between Afghanistan and its neighbors, in particular the Central Asian states, in combating drug trafficking.

The council acknowledged the impact of the situation in Afghanistan on the Central Asian states and commended the center's role in cooperating with the UN mission in the country and in facilitating the bilateral and multilateral engagement of the Central Asian states with Afghanistan. It encouraged enhanced cooperation and coordination between them.