ARMENIA STRENGTHENS ITS CAPACITY
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[06:21 pm] 01 May, 2007
With substantial U.S. assistance, Armenia continued to strengthen
its capacity to counter the country’s few perceived terrorist
threats. Armenia’s geographic location, porous borders, and loose visa
regime presents opportunities for traffickers of illicit materials,
persons, and finances.
Armenia’s reliance on ties with neighboring Iran have dampened Armenian
criticism of Iranian extremism and led to closer trade relations
between the two countries. Diplomatic and trade relations with Iran
are seen as a geographic and strategic necessity for the landlocked
country, in light of closed borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan, and the
perceived risk of instability in Georgia. President Kocharian spoke
out in November against the possibility of international sanctions
against Iran.
The Financial Monitoring Center (FMC), a U.S. – supported financial
intelligence unit within the Central Bank, is still developing
as a regulatory body. Established in 2005, the FMC began to make
investigative strides this year. The FMC received 23 suspicious
transaction reports in 2006. After analyzing the reports, the FMC
developed five suspicious transaction cases; three of the cases
were subsequently referred to the Prosecutor General’s office for
further investigation. To date, the FMC has received no reports
of transactions involving watch-list designees. The heavy flow of
remittances, however, may hinder efforts to detect fund transfers in
support of terrorism. The FMC has applied for Egmont Group membership.
Armenia introduced additional security features into the production
of passports, continued to install passport readers at border posts,
and continued efforts to increase the security of its vital documents,
such as birth certificates. On November 1, the government implemented
mandatory fingerprinting for travelers departing Zvartnots Airport,
Armenia’s only international airport. The National Security Service
(NSS) and police shared information with the U.S. Embassy when they
discovered fraudulent U.S. visas or other such documents.
In May, the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team for
al-Qaida and the Taliban visited Armenia to monitor the implementation
of sanctions under UNSCR 1267 and successor resolutions. The team
met with the Central Bank, the Ministry of Defense, the National
Security Service and the Police, as well as the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. According to the MFA, the team said it was satisfied with
Armenia’s level of preparedness. Armenia supported U.S. efforts in
Iraq with troops on the ground and provided overflight authorization
in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
In September, Armenia participated in a CIS-wide exercise called
"Atom-Antiterror 2006." The Armenian Special Forces together with the
Russian Federal Security Service, ran counterterrorism and hostage
release drills at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant.