US Allocates Funds to Assist Armenian Justice Sector

YEREVAN (RIA Novosti) — US Ambassador John Heffern and Armenian Minister of Justice Hovhannes Manukyan have agreed on the US allocating an additional $ 2.3 million to fund programs providing justice sector assistance to Armenia.

John Heffern noted that the main objective of cooperation with Armenia is to attract foreign investments, and it is a transparent judicial system that makes a state attractive. He also stated that the cooperation will be primarily aimed at the modernization of police and penal institutions. Hovhannes Manukyan thanked his American partners and remarked that the stability of the judiciary system and the supremacy of law are Armenia’s priorities.

The assistance will continue to help the Armenian Government fight transnational crime, contribute to increasing Armenian law enforcement capacities, and support overall judicial and legislative reforms. Moreover, programs will provide support in the development of a new corrections and probation system.

The agreement came as an amendment to the Letter of Agreement on Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement of 2001.
Since the signing of the original Letter of Agreement in 2001, the US Government has provided more than USD 22 million of justice sector assistance to Armenia through the US Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Section. The assistance and cooperation correspond to the shared desire between the US embassy in Yerevan and the Government of Armenia to modernize Armenia’s security sector, curb corruption, and improve respect for human rights and the rule of law.