New Truck Scanner installed on Georgia–Armenia Border
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Thursday, May 19
The truck scanner worth 3,3 million GEL has been installed at the Sadakhlo Border Crossing Point between Armenia and Georgia.
The scanner - which provides a reliable means of inspecting cargo ensuring the manifest verification, accurate tariff collection and identification of illegal goods - has been provided through a European Union (EU) funded project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and is part of a wider EU-supported initiative to further advance Integrated Border Management in the South Caucasus.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Janos Herman said that Georgia's achievements in reforming the management of its borders have been fully recognized by the EU.
“The EU recognizes all of Georgia's achievements while evaluating the country's progress with the implementation of the Visa Liberalization Action Plan and proposing a visa waiver decision for Georgian citizens. Our assistance promotes ongoing reforms and contributes to border management, in this case the improvement of border monitoring," stated Herman.
The EU Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Georgia, Shombi Sharp, said that well-managed borders are a matter not only of national security, but also economic development and regional cooperation.
“Open and secure borders facilitate both people's mobility and trade, boosting growth in the region," stated Sharp.
The First Deputy Minister of Finance of Georgia and Director General of Georgian Revenue Service, Giorgi Tabuashvili, said that the new scanner will improve security at the border.
“This new scanner will help to conduct works faster, also is increases quality of work. Georgia is very grateful to EU and UNDP for all the assistance they grant to our country,” stated Tabuashvili.
With a total budget of GEL 10 million (EUR 4.3 million), the EU / UNDP initiative helped the governments of Armenia and Georgia to tackle smuggling and trafficking, ease people's movement at the border crossing point, equip and train customs officers and border guards, and promote professional cooperation between the border management agencies of the two countries. The European Union and UNDP also assisted the Government of Georgia to prepare and endorse the Border Management Strategy of Georgia for 2014-2018.
The European Union and UNDP will continue their assistance to the South Caucasus countries to anchor Integrated Border Management, recognized as one of the most effective tools to maintain open but secure and controlled borders.
