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Highlights: The Armenian Government has demonstrated a willingness to cooperate with the United States in preventing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation and in fighting transnational crime. Armenia is an active member of the State Department-supported International Science and Technology Center (ISTC), which provides former Soviet weapons scientists with opportunities to work on peaceful civilian research projects so that they would not be tempted to sell their expertise to countries of proliferation concern. In FY 1999, the U.S. Government also promoted the participation of former WMD scientists in peaceful research projects supported by the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF). U.S. Government funded export control and border security programs, provided training and equipment to the Armenian Customs Service and Border Guards to improve their export control capabilities and prevent WMD proliferation. In addition, Armenia nationally has taken several steps to strengthen its export controls. Following is the detailed breakdown, by programs, of security-related cooperation between Armenia and the United States:

US Department of Defense / US Customs Service Counterproliferation Program (DoD/USCS-CPP): The US DoD/USCS Counterproliferation Program was authorized in Section 1424 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1997. The Program aims at helping the recipient Nation to establish proper government commitments to counter proliferation of and trafficking in Weapons of Mass Destruction, and assumes provision of U.S. Government-funded equipment to the participating nation. A government-to-government Counterproliferation Agreement must be in place prior to the delivery of such equipment. These agreements serve as umbrella agreements for this program and future U.S. bilateral initiatives, help establish proper implementation commitments, and provide for necessary liability protections, privileges and immunities, as well as tax/customs exemptions for U.S. Government-funded equipment and personnel on the territory of the participating nation. The US-Armenia Agreement on Counterproliferation was signed on July 24, 2000, during the visit of Serge Sargsyan, Armenia’s Defense Minister to Washington, DC. During FY 1999, a cumulative total over $1,205,000 was expended under this Program, of which an estimated $120,000 was for Armenia. Armenia-related activities included a WMD detection/interdiction training course for 12 Armenian officials held in June 1999, at the Hanford Nuclear Site in Washington State.

US Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Program (DoD-CTR): The Cooperative Threat Reduction Program (CTR) was initiated in FY 1992, by Sen. Sen. Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar. Its aim is to reduce the threat posed to the US by the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) remaining on the territory of the former Soviet Union. CTR promotes denuclearization, demilitarization, and non-proliferation of WMD. Under the CTR program, DoD provides assistance to a number of States that match the DoD eligibility criteria. In FY 1999, the United States Government certified Armenia to receive US assistance under the DoD-CTR Program.

US Department of Defense / US Department of State – Warsaw Initiative/Partnership for Peace: These programs seek to address near-term problems which limit the ability of NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PFP) partners to engage in related activities - promote interoperability with NATO; increase the level of participation in PFP exercises; and support efforts to deepen defense and military cooperation between the US/NATO and their PFP partners. The funds used for the Program are US Department of Defense -budgeted Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funds. The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Strategy and Threat Reduction) are responsible for policy oversight of the Warsaw Initiative program for the NIS. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency administers Warsaw Initiative funds. All PFP member-states are eligible to receive Warsaw Initiative assistance, including Armenia (Armenia joined the PFP in 1994). However, Warsaw Initiative-funded assistance to Armenia remains seriously limited - subject to the US policy of maintaining equally minimal military and defense ties with Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is subject to Section 907, FREEDOM Support Act prohibition of certain types of US Government assistance, including under the Warsaw Initiative, until it lifts its blockades against Armenia.

U.S. Department of State – International Science and Technology Center (ISTC): This Program is administered by the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) - an intergovernmental entity established in November 1992. To prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery means – the ISTC seeks to provide opportunities to former Soviet weapons scientists and engineers to redirect their weapons expertise to peaceful activities. Under the ISTC programs, the United States encouraged broad multilateral cooperation, including with Canada, the EU, Japan, S. Korea, and Norway, to maximize financial support for ISTC programs. ISTC operates field offices in a number of NIS countries, including Armenia. Armenia’s national support for the ISTC includes - but is not limited to - local office and personnel support, tax and customs exemptions, and infrastructure support for projects at participating research organizations. In their turn, Armenia’s research centers have continuously enjoyed ISTC assistance in project work and other scientific activities. In FY 1999, ISTC provided over $1 million for Armenia-based ISTC research projects, most of them in the technology areas of electronics and materials. In addition, the US Government funded a special training effort administered by the American University of Armenia (AUA) to train computer specialists from the former Soviet weapons industry in programming and other areas that will make them employable in Armenia’s burgeoning software development industry. The initial pilot course plans to provide training for 25 individuals, and is expected to expand within Armenia as well as regionally.

U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF): In FY 1999, Armenia continued to receive assistance from the US Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) - to develop an indigenous national capacity for funding science through merit-based competitions. CRDF provided training in accounting and auditing procedures and material support to the Armenia National Foundation for Science and Technology (NFSAT). NFSAT refined its organizational skills by handling logistics for three seminars held in Armenia: two proposal development seminars for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a CRDF training program in technology development and marketing sponsored by the US Department of Commerce. In an effort to assist NFSAT in broadening its funding base, CRDF sponsored a visit to the United States by NFSAT’s chairman with the goal of showcasing NFSAT's activities and capabilities among the Armenia-American Diaspora and representatives of interested foundations and government agencies. To date, the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation has committed over $1,000,000.00 to various program activities with Armenia. To proceed to the itemized summary of these programs, please click here.

ü Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (NDF): The US Department of State Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (NDF) provides resources to support bilateral and multilateral efforts to prevent, deter or detect potential proliferation of WMD, WMD components and delivery systems, pursuant to Section 504 of the FREEDOM Support Act of 1992. In FY 1999, the NDF funded six projects totaling $9.5 million for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. In FY 1999, the US Administration approved a program for $1.92 million NDF funding in Armenia and Azerbaijan with a view to help expand the Tracker Automated Licensing System. The Tracker System permits countries to track exports of proliferation concern and to consult electronically with other government ministries and with foreign governments. It provides a basis for the eventual establishment of a global network for sharing information about items of proliferation concern.

ü Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Related Activities (NADR): US Government export control assistance helped Armenia establish a high-level interagency export-control coordinating commission, reflecting Armenia’s increasing interest in and commitment to export controls. In FY 1999, Armenian officials participated in the Central Asia and Caucasus Regional Forum on Export Controls. Through this and other regional programs, Armenian officials have established working relations with officials from Georgia and Azerbaijan, a promising example of increased cooperation in the Southern Caucasus.

 

Calendar Year 2000 Us European Command (USEUCOM) Proposal For Military Contacts With Armenia: In an effort to establish mutual understanding and cooperation on defense and military matters between the United States European Command and the Ministry of Defense of Armenia and the Border Guard of Armenia, the following military contacts were proposed for execution in the year 2000:

ü International Military Education and Training – IMET (DOD/State)

ü Department of Energy

ü Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

ü US Customs (USC)

ü Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA)

 

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