Arpa Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 US-SPONSORED BORDER GUARD TRAINING CENTRE OPENS IN ARMENIA Mediamax news agency 22 Mar 06 Yerevan, 22 March: A training centre of the Armenian border troops, renovated with money provided by the US government, opened in Yerevan today. Speaking at the opening ceremony, US ambassador to Armenia John Evans stressed the importance of the centre in ensuring the reliable protection of the Armenian borders and preventing the illegal transportation of dangerous cargoes and smuggling and trafficking, Mediamax reports. According to the diplomat, "the operation of the centre meets the interests of the Armenian people and the international community". The USA invested a total of 214,000 dollars in the renovation of the centre's building. Armen Abramyan, commander of the Armenian border troops, said that the USA has been supplying Armenian border guards with transport and technical control facilities, state-of-the-art radio stations and computers since December 2001. The building of the Bagratashen checkpoint on the Armenian-Georgian border was opened in May 2005 with the assistance of the US government. The construction of a barracks at the Gogavan checkpoint on the border with Georgia will be completed in the near future. An official statement released by the US embassy said that "several groups of Armenian border guards have already attended one- and two-month courses in preparation for replacing Russian border guards at Zvartnots airport." At the same time, Armen Abramyan said that not all of the Russian border guards at the airport will be replaced, Mediamax reports. Mediamax recalls that under bilateral agreements, Armenian and Russian border guards are jointly protecting Armenia's border with Turkey and Iran. Russian, not Armenian, border guards have been working at the checkpoint Armenia at Zvartnots international airport in the past few years. Mediamax notes that the head of the Russian Federal Security Service's Border Directorate in Armenia, Lt-Gen Sergey Bondarev, said in January 2006 that Armenian and Russian border guards started to serve jointly at the checkpoint Armenia. Bondarev said that "joint work has already proved its efficiency". ========= One wonders also if they will train the border guards at the Turkish Armenian border. Which side of it will they train which guards? One also wonders if those trainers are alumni of the US Mexican border!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 I think the Iranian border is the point of interest for US. They don't want any nuclear material or technology to pass to Iran through Armenia. They couldn't care less about Turkish Armenian border. Don't be surprised later on if we're accused of letting illegal materials passing to Iran through Armenia and be blackmailed for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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