EMBASSY DONATES LABORATORY EQUIPMENT, TRAINING TO NATIONAL BUREAU OF EXPERTISES IN YEREVAN
US Fed News
November 8, 2007 Thursday 6:53 PM EST
The U.S. Embassy issued the following press release:
On November 8, the U.S. government donated approximately $280,000 of
forensics laboratory equipment to the National Bureau of Expertises.
Signing the donation letter on behalf of the U.S. Embassy was Charge
d?Affairs Joseph Pennington and, on behalf of the Government of
Armenia, Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian. Also in attendance were
National Academy of Sciences President Radik Martirosyan and National
Bureau of Expertises Director Artashes Javadyan.
The new equipment was bought by the International Narcotics and
Law Enforcement Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan. The
donation includes two items of particular importance: a ballistics
comparison microscope and a bullet recovery system. Armenia now owns
one of the most modern and sophisticated ballistics microscopes on the
market. Coupled with the recovery system, this equipment will enable
the Bureau?s firearms examination unit to identify spent ammunition
and test a variety of firearms. A representative of the U.S. Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is in Yerevan to train
lab personnel. Members of Georgia?s forensic laboratories arrived this
week to work and train with their Armenian and American colleagues.
Total U.S. government assistance to the National Bureau of Expertise
now exceeds $630,000. In addition to the equipment donated today,
the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Section funded
the renovation of one of the laboratory?s buildings, arranged for
training for Bureau personnel in Armenia and abroad, and funded
various visits by an American Forensics Advisor. The goal is to
achieve accreditation for the Bureau as an internationally recognized
forensics laboratory. In pursuit of that goal, future U.S. government
expenditures over the next few years will exceed two million dollars.
This project is only part of the U.S. government?s comprehensive law
enforcement assistance program in the Republic of Armenia. The U.S.
Embassy in Yerevan, through its International Narcotics and Law
Enforcement Section, has funded the renovation of such facilities as
the Police Induction Center in Kanaker, the Border Guards Training
Facility in Yerevan and the Customs Training Center in Vanadzor.
Moreover, the Embassy has donated computer equipment in all these
facilities. The Embassy is also working with the Government of Armenia
to establish a nationwide, computerized border management information
system and a nationwide computer network for the RA Police. The
U.S. Government provides about $3 million a year in law enforcement
assistance to Armenia.