U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service reps arrive in Armenia

YEREVAN. Oct 3 (Interfax) - A delegation of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Service has arrived in Armenia for work with the Armenian Border Service.

"From September 29 to October 11, the CBP [Customs and Border Protection] team will work with the Armenian Border Guard (ABG) to assess capabilities and identify areas for improvement through the Capability Gap Analysis Process (CGAP). This proven methodology helps strengthen border security by pinpointing needs and guiding strategic investments," the press service for the U.S. embassy to Armenia said.

This is the first step towards using the Armenian-U.S. partnership to unlock the potential of the Crossroads of Peace project, a memorandum of understanding on which was signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House on August 8.

Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed an agreement establishing peace and interstate relations between the two countries in Washington on August 8. Besides, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, U.S. President Donald Trump and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a declaration in Washington, which, in particular, states that Armenia will work with the United States jointly with some third parties on developing the framework of the transport connectivity project Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) on the territory of Armenia.

Pashinyan earlier said that a U.S.-Armenian company as part of TRIPP would run the business but not control the 42-kilometer road in southern Armenia, which will connect Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan.