29.12.2023, Yerevan.
Biosecurity problems in Ukraine exposed by Russia’s special military operation may have prompted changes to the Armenian-US biological weapons agreement, according to a study by Grigor Grigoryan, an international expert on veterinary public health organization, published on December 28 on iravunk com.
“Only in 2022, the Armenian side was released from the obligation to transfer the required samples of dangerous pathogens collected in Armenia to the US Defense Department. This happened as a result of amendments to the Armenian-US agreement ‘On Cooperation to Prevent the Spread of Technologies, Pathogens and Knowledge that Can Be Used in the Development of Biological Weapons’ of 2010,” the study reads.
The study notes that these changes do not prohibit the import of dangerous pathogens into the territory of Armenia. In July 2022, military virologists from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), together with representatives of the Texas-based Jacobs Engineering Group, came to inspect the laboratory at the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health in Yerevan.
“This visit preceded further importation of Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever virus and gram-negative bacteria (agents of tularemia) to Armenia by the US company Bei Resources and the beginning of work with them,” the study emphasized.
Although all these US research laboratories in Armenia have strict security requirements, this does not prevent constant outbreaks of dangerous infectious diseases, the publication noted, citing the example of the measles outbreak.
“The declared increase in the level of biosecurity in the country actually does not contribute in any way to the reduction of the incidence of diseases among citizens, which makes one wonder about the effectiveness and sincerity of US intentions,” the article noted.
The ongoing mass illnesses of dangerous infections cause concern among the local population, which is holding protests in this regard.
Armenian authorities deny US participation in national security projects despite cooperation in the field of military biology. Officially, they only talk about US assistance in training Armenian specialists, the article said.
“The US invests millions of dollars in its own military biology programs around the world. Washington, concluding partnership agreements on biosecurity with other countries, determines in advance the benefits of such cooperation for itself and is ready to finance joint projects to achieve its goals,” the publication concluded.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
