The U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, an agency of the Department of Defense, has expressed readiness to support Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) in improving border guard training programs and training instructors, the NSS said in a statement.

On September 24, the head and personnel of the NSS Scientific-Educational Center met with a delegation led by Antje Fritz, Deputy Head of the Europe and Asia Division at the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF) and head of DCAF’s support program in Armenia. On September 30, a meeting was held with a delegation led by Stephanie Pennington, Caucasus Regional Programs Manager at the Directorate of Global Threat Reduction of the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Issues related to state border protection and the professional training of border guards were discussed.

Modern training methods, international cooperation, and the establishment of an educational system for the NSS Border Guard Troops in line with international standards were emphasized.

“During the meeting with the American side, particular emphasis was placed on the importance of further support for implementing training and retraining programs for the NSS Border Guard Troops of Armenia within the framework of cooperation with the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The American side expressed readiness to support the National Security Service in revising and improving border guard training programs, as well as retraining instructors,” the NSS statement said.

During the meeting with representatives of the DCAF, the importance of DCAF’s expertise and cooperation in organizing training for border guard troops and personnel engaged in operational intelligence activities was emphasized.

The NSS also reported that in September, a delegation comprising staff from the Border Guard Troops and the Scientific-Educational Center visited Finland on a study trip. The visit was organized with the support of the International Organization for Migration’s Mission in Armenia as part of the “Strengthening the Capacities of the Armenian Authorities in the Field of Border Security and Crime Prevention” program.

The delegation visited Finland’s Border and Coast Guard Academy and familiarized itself with its structure and training process. The staff also visited sections of the state border and Helsinki International Airport, where they studied operational procedures for border control.