Overview: Armenia made progress in improving border security. The Armenian government worked closely with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and other partners to establish and outline responsibilities for a 24-hour Situation Center within the Armenian Ministry of Emergency Situations. The Situation Center is intended to assure effective interagency coordination in crisis management, including in response to terrorist attacks.

Legislation and Law Enforcement: In the area of border security, progress included the addition of sensors designed to detect the movement of people and vehicles on the Georgian border. Armenia continued to improve its export control laws and procedures, as well as its maintenance of recently installed radiation portal alarms at all ports of entry, including the main airport. Furthermore, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency reached an agreement to provide support in the form of equipment and infrastructure upgrades along the Georgian border, including border post towers and relay stations, to improve Armenia Border Guard Service communications. The Border Guard Service continued to optimize its use of the automated Border Management Information System (BMIS) at all points of entry, to include a BMIS criminal and terrorist watch list updated by the Armenian National Security Service. The Armenian government planned to update the BMIS and bring all border crossing checkpoints with Georgia up to European Union (EU) standards. The Armenian government began to implement a National Integrated Border Management Strategy, to include a complete re-building of northern points of entry over the next two to three years.

Countering Terrorist Finance: Armenia is a member of the Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism, a Financial Action Task Force-style regional body. Armenia is also a member of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units. Armenia is not a regional financial center, and no cases of terrorist financing have been discovered. Within the Armenian Central Bank, a Financial Monitoring Center analyzed suspicious financial transactions to detect evidence of money laundering and other financial crimes. For further information on money laundering and financial crimes, we refer you to the 2011 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume 2, Money Laundering and Financial Crimes: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/index.htm.

Regional and International Cooperation: Armenia participated in several bilateral and multilateral assistance, security, and training organizations and initiatives targeted at strengthening its ability to counter terrorist financing and the smuggling of illicit and hazardous materials. These included: the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, the Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative, the Biological Threat Reduction Program, and related training programs sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the EU Advisory Group.

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