Thursday, 15 September 2011
Border Checkpoint Reconstruction And Modernization Agenda Discussed
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received today a UNDP delegation, led by head of UNDP Armenia Office Dafina Gercheva. In attendance was head of EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Raul de Lutzenberger.
Greeting the guests, the Prime Minister hailed the current pace of bilateral cooperation and stressed the need for ensuring its continuity.
The parties have discussed details of Complex Management of Borders in South Caucasus program as funded by the European Union and implemented by the UNDP focusing on the possibility of UNDP participation in the reconstruction and modernization of border checkpoints. In this context, program financing-related issues were discussed.
The expected talks over the issue at hand with EU and other structures might be conducive to joint efforts in that direction. Note that a Prime Minister-led delegation is due to Brussels on September 19 to specify the program funding sources and implementation mechanisms.
Bagratashen, Bavra and Gogavan border checkpoints are to be modernized under the program. A Latvian consulting company had been entrusted with the processing of corresponding bids. The program seeks to strengthen and expand cooperation between South Caucasus, EU member- States and other international stakeholders, as well as to promote cross-border movement of freight and passengers.
As to the possibility of UNDP participation, Prime Minister Sargsyan considered it important to keep on looking at the legal and technical issues discussed at the level of working groups.
