USA allocates 1.3m dollars in assistance to Armenian border guards

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
14 Mar 05

[Presenter] The Armenian Border Service will improve on account of a
present received from the USA. The US government is to allocate to
Armenia equipment and training assistance to the tune of 1.3m dollars
within the framework of the Export Control and Related Border Security
Assistance Programme. Armenian border guards are to undergo special
training and get familiarized with the new methods of revealing
chemical and biological weapons.

[Correspondent over video of Anthony Godfrey and new vehicles] The
Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance Programme has
been operating in Armenia since 2000. The programme, sponsored by the
US State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, is aimed
at boosting the security of the state’s border and customs systems
against terrorism and proliferation of weapons. The US government
handed over eight vehicles to the Border Service of the Armenian
National Security Service.

The deputy US ambassador to Armenia, Anthony Godfrey, noted that the
Armenian government has taken on the task of boosting the security of
its borders and the US embassy will allocate more assistance to
Armenian in this regard.

Several construction projects have been launched within the framework
of the programme to upgrade the Bagratashen checkpoint and the Gogavan
border guards’ barracks.

[Anthony Godfrey, captioned, in English with Armenian voice-over] This
is not the first and last cooperation programme with the Armenian
government. In 2005, 1.3m dollars in assistance will be allocated to
Armenia.