US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN867

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 YEREVAN 000867 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL/AAE, J. Campbell and INL/RM 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, AFIN, KJUS, KCRM, AM 
SUBJECT:  LOA AMENDMENT NO.2 AUTHORIZATION REQUEST 
REF: Schack/McKay email March 9, 2004 
 
1.  This is an Action Request for INL/AAE. 
 
2.  Post presents the final version of Amendment No. 2 to 
the Letter of Agreement on Narcotics Control and Law 
Enforcement Assistance between the Government of the United 
States and the Government of the Republic of Armenia in para 
3 and requests the Bureau provide advice of allotment and 
cable authorization to sign the Amendment with the GOAM. 
The GOAM provided its consent in Diplomatic Note No. 
16/03799 on 8 April 2004.  Please note two changes to the 
text highlighted in bold: 1) as requested by MFA, addition 
to the text: "The Amendment will enter into force upon 
signature." 2) per Schack/McKay ref email: "...establishment 
of a forensic lab under the auspices of an Armenian 
Government entity, as agreed by the U.S. Government and the 
Armenian Government..." 
 
3. BEGIN TEXT. 
 
AMENDMENT TO THE LETTER OF AGREEMENT ON NARCOTICS CONTROL 
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OF JUNE 11, 2001 BETWEEN THE 
GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE 
GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA 
 
I.  GENERAL 
 
The Government of the United States of America and the 
Government of Armenia jointly agree to modify and amend the 
Letter of Agreement between the U.S. Government and the 
Government of Armenia, signed June 11, 2001 in the following 
respect: 
 
The U.S. Government will provide additional assistance to 
the Government of Armenia in the amount of $2,158,000, 
including technical assistance and training contracted 
through USG agencies and equipment procured by the 
Department of State.  Funds obligated by the U.S. Government 
through this Amendment are specified in the cover sheet and 
total $1,558,000.  Future funding for these projects is 
contingent upon the congressional authorization and 
appropriation of funds and approval by the Assistant 
Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law 
 
SIPDIS 
Enforcement Affairs. 
 
The additional funding is provided for the following 
projects: curriculum development at the Armenian law 
enforcement training academies; forensic lab development; 
trafficking in persons; and a regional computer network. 
 
Full project descriptions and project goals are described in 
Section III. 
 
II. All other obligations, terms, and conditions contained 
in the Letter of Agreement dated June 11, 2001 shall remain 
applicable and in full force and effect.  THE AMENDMENT WILL 
ENTER INTO FORCE UPON SIGNATURE. 
 
 
III. PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS, PROJECT GOAL AND ACHIEVEMENT 
VERIFICATION 
 
(1) Curriculum Development at Law Enforcement Training 
Academies--$716,000 
 
This project is designed to continue the modernization of 
the training academies and the incorporation of new 
curricula and training methodologies into law enforcement 
training programs. 
 
Actions to be taken by the U.S. Government include providing 
training and technical advice on curricula development to 
the law enforcement training academies. 
 
Actions to be taken by the Government of Armenia include 
providing access for the trainers and technical advisors to 
the academies and faculties, incorporating new curricula and 
courses into the academies and selecting appropriate 
participants to attend the training on a full time basis. 
 
The project is envisioned as a multi-year initiative, 
contingent on satisfactory progress toward program goals and 
availability of future funds. 
 
Performance will be measured through: 
--Incorporation of new and modified curricula into the 
training academies; 
--Training of faculty to teach the new curricula and 
courses; and 
--Utilization of the new skills and knowledge by law 
enforcement personnel in the field. 
 
2) Forensic Lab Development Project--$1,000,000 
 
This project will continue the development of a modern 
forensic lab system in Armenia. 
 
Actions to be taken by the U.S. Government': include: 
provision of technical assistance in areas of forensic 
science and laboratory management (quality assurance, budget 
and finance, human resources, etc.) to forensic lab 
managers, supervisors and examiners; design of a modern, 
independent forensic lab; and provision of forensic lab 
equipment and training in its use. 
 
Actions to be taken by the Government of Armenia include: 
establishment of a forensic lab UNDER THE AUSPICES OF AN 
ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT ENTITY, AS AGREED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT 
AND THE ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT, with the status of a non-profit 
organization with a separate line item in the 2004 national 
budget in accordance with Armenian legislation; transparent, 
competitive selection of appropriate lab cadre who will be 
available to receive the assistance and training provided by 
the program; create a charter for the lab with a description 
of usage procedures and users; provision of a building to 
house the lab; renovation of the lab building; expeditious 
entry of the equipment into Armenia; delivery of the 
equipment to the forensic lab; and ensuring that the 
equipment continues to be utilized for the intended 
purposes; ensuring continued access of U.S. Embassy 
representatives to the equipment for end use monitoring 
 
The project is envisioned as a multi-year initiative. 
Provision of funding beyond the current fiscal year is 
conditioned upon satisfactory progress toward project goals 
and the availability of future funds. 
 
Performance will be measured through: 
--Establishment of a professionally managed and staffed 
independent forensic lab; 
--Design and renovation of the lab building; 
--Installation and proper use of the equipment; 
--Use of the forensic equipment to analyze evidence 
associated with criminal activity; and, 
--Presentation in courts of evidence analyzed by this lab. 
 
(3) Trafficking in Persons Project--$92,000 
 
The goal of this project is to prevent and suppress 
trafficking in persons through activities focused on 
prevention of incidents and prosecution of perpetrators and 
the protection of victims. 
 
Actions to be taken by the USG include expansion of program 
activities agreed through LOA Amendment 1 signed 14 April 
2003 to include project activities directed at vulnerable 
children. The original program activities include: 
 
--A public awareness campaign and sensitization of public 
officials, employees of foreign embassies, media and NGOs to 
trafficking related issues through seminars and workshops; - 
 
-Assisting the Government of Armenia in updating legislation 
in line with current international policies and legislation 
related to counter-trafficking through 1) Legislation 
drafted in line with the UN Convention, 2) Facilitating the 
exchange of ideas between the media, women's organizations, 
NGOs, international organizations, and the Government, 3) 
International exchanges, and, 4) Training of law enforcement 
and judiciary in the issues related to trafficking; 
 
--Protection and assistance to victims through 1) Combining 
preventive and prosecution-related measures with protection 
and assistance to victims, 2) Undertaking measures to 
protect the privacy of the victims of trafficking including 
legislative changes and 3) Return and integration support; 
 
--Conducting research aimed at better defining the scope of 
the trafficking problem in Armenia. 
 
Actions to be taken by the Government of Armenia include 
making resources available to the Interagency Commission on 
Human Trafficking Issues and further definition of their 
mandate to include Implementation of the National Plan of 
Action currently in draft form. 
 
The planned life of this project is one year. 
 
Performance will be measured through: 
--Changes to legislation including criminal procedure 
amendments to improve Armenian law enforcement's ability to 
investigate and prosecute trafficking-related cases; -- 
Increased investigation and prosecution of trafficking 
cases; and 
 
--Maintenance of Tier 2 status or higher on the U.S. 
Department of State's Global Trafficking in Persons Report. 
 
(4) Regional Computer Network Project--$350,000 
 
This project will increase the ability of Armenian law 
enforcement to conduct timely investigations, assist in the 
development of a law enforcement database to increase 
information sharing between law enforcement agencies, 
improve Armenia's ability to access international criminal 
databases and shorten the time it takes the U.S. and 
Armenian governments to ascertain the whereabouts of 
suspected criminals. 
 
Actions to be taken by the USG include: providing computer 
hardware and software and related equipment, including 
initial assistance to rent phone lines for Internet access 
and related phone tariffs not to exceed $70,000 for a period 
of no more than 1 year for offices throughout Armenia, 
including 52 regional police precincts; providing technical 
advisors to assist in establishing the network and training 
trainers on computer and Internet literacy in the INL 
established computer classrooms at the law enforcement 
training academies; and English language training to improve 
the ability of U.S. and Armenian law enforcement to 
communicate directly. 
 
Actions to be taken by the Government of Armenia include: 
providing appropriate technical and law enforcement 
personnel to receive the training and technical assistance; 
providing venues for local training and technical 
assistance; making proper use of the provided equipment; and 
facilitating access to the equipment by U.S. Government 
personnel for end use monitoring. 
 
The planned life of this project is multi-year, with this 
phase expected to last one year. Provision of funding beyond 
the current fiscal year is conditioned upon satisfactory 
progress toward project goals and the availability of funds. 
 
Performance will be measured through: 
 
--Establishment of the regional computer network; -- 
Improvement in information sharing between Armenia law 
enforcement offices and with international law enforcement 
entities; and, 
--Increased apprehension of criminals. 
 
IV. EVALUATION PLAN 
 
Representatives of the U.S. Government and the Government of 
Armenia will meet at least once every three months to review 
progress towards achievement of the projects' goals. 
Progress will be evaluated in accordance with the 
measurements of success described above. Information to be 
considered in conducting these evaluations will include 
qualitative and quantitative data, including official 
records of arrests and convictions and seizures of 
contraband. A report will be prepared summarizing the 
results of these evaluations. These evaluations are in 
addition to ongoing monitoring of these programs and 
activities conducted by relevant Personnel of both 
governments. 
 
Done at Yerevan, Armenia this day of (month) of (year). For 
the Government of Armenia 
 
Title/name 
 
For the Government of 
United States of America 
 
Ambassador 
END TEXT. 
 
ORDWAY