Artak Barseghyan
“Radiolur”
Today, UNDP in Armenia, the EU Delegation to Armenia, the RA National Security Council and the State Revenue Committee jointly presented the objectives and perspectives of the EU funded and UNDP implemented “Enhancement of the border management capabilities at Bavra – Ninotsminda Border Crossing Point between Armenia and Georgia” project at an opening conference.
Representatives of diplomatic missions accredited to the Republic of Armenia, international organizations, as well as the responsible authorities of the border management agencies from Armenia and Georgia attended the event.
Panel speakers included Arthur Baghdasaryan, Secretary of the National Security Council, Patrice Coeur-Bizot, UNDP Resident Representative a.i., Ambassador Traian Hristea, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, and Gagik Khachatryan, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee of the RA Government.
“The Armenian authorities keep the issue of border security in the spotlight, and we have had considerable achievements in the field after the adoption of the border security strategy. We are actively cooperating with our partners to modernize the Armenian-Georgian border. Soon we’ll have good results at Bagratashen, Bavra, Gogavan border crossing points and will have infrastructures corresponding to international standards,” Arthur Baghdasaryan said, speaking at the conference.
The project, with an overall budget of EUR 1,403,000, will introduce European standards of integrated border management at the Bavra-Ninotsminda border crossing point on the Armenia-Georgia border and facilitate trade, transit and enhanced movement of people across the border.
As part of the initiative, capacities of Georgian and Armenian border agencies’ staff at Bavra-Ninotsminda border crossing point will be developed through professional skills trainings in a range of subjects, including document security, risk assessment and profiling, search techniques, international property rights and identification of counterfeit goods, refugee law and asylum rights, shift management, etc.
