Armenian National Security Council (NSC) held a session of the interdepartmental committee on monitoring of programs stipulated by the provisions of the strategy on complex management and provision of security of Armenia’s state borders. NSC secretary Artur Baghdasaryan chaired the meeting.

Baghdasaryan said the frontier security has been in the permanent focus of the Armenian President and the National Security Council. He stressed there is significant progress in this field after approval of the strategy for frontier security provision and complex management of the state borders.

In particular, he mentioned the agreement with Russia on modernization of frontier infrastructure on borders with Turkey and Iran, as well as cooperation with EU on modernization of check points at Armenian-Georgian border. “Due to these developments we can state that measures implemented along the whole border line of Armenia will further enhance the frontier security,” he said.

In his turn, UNDP South Caucasus Integrated Border Management (SCIBM) project manager Grigory Malintsyan noted that the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Development and Reconstruction will allot 40 million Euros of credit for reconstruction of Bagratashen, Bavra and Gogavan checkpoints. Further 17 million Euros will be allocated by donor organizations as a grant. Malintsyan said the modernization program will start in June-July 2012.

Arthur Baghdasaryan said they should do their best to launch the program earlier.