The Kansas–Armenia National Guard Partnership is one of 25 European partnerships that make-up the U.S. European Command State Partnership Program and one of 88 worldwide partnerships that make-up the National Guard State Partnership Program. The Republic of Armenia signed a bilateral affairs agreement with the

U.S. Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, t ...

and the state of Kansas in 2003 establishing the Kansas-Armenia State Partnership Program. Former Kansas Governor

Kathleen Sebelius Kathleen Sebelius (; née Gilligan, born May 15, 1948) is an American politician who served as the 21st United States secretary of health and human services from 2009 until 2014. As Secretary of Health and Human Services, Sebelius was instrumenta ...

subsequently signed a proclamation declaring June 18, 2004, as Kansas-Armenia Partnership Day. The partnership aims to develop self-sustaining relationships between the Armenian Ministry of Defense and the

Kansas National Guard The Kansas National Guard, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Kansas. It comprises both the Kansas Army National Guard and the Kansas Air National Guard. The Governor of Kansas is Commander-in-Chief of the Ka ...

as well as various civilian organizations in order to exchange knowledge in areas such as emergency management and disaster response, border and port security, economic security, peacekeeping operations and counter terrorism. Kansas Armenia 01

Emergency Management and Disaster Response

History

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

declared its independence from the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

on August 23, 1990, having previously been the

Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (ArSSR), also known as Soviet Armenia, or simply Armenia, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Soviet Armenia ...

, one of the constituent republics of the USSR since 1936, and part of the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic since 1920. In the wake of the August Coup (1991), a referendum was held on the question of secession. Following an overwhelming vote in favor, full independence was declared on September 21, 1991. However, widespread recognition did not occur until the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991. The dissolution of the Soviet Union brought an end to the Cold War and created the opportunity for bilateral relations with the New Independent States (NIS) as they began a political and economic transformation. The U.S. recognized the independence of Armenia on December 25, 1991, and opened an embassy in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...

in February 1992. The Kansas-Armenia State Partnership was established in June 2003 for the purpose of fostering security cooperation between the United States and Armenia and to support the objectives of the

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is the military headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) that commands all NATO operations worldwide. SHAPE is situated in the villag ...

. Each year, Kansas and Armenia conducts numerous joint exercises in both locations that span across educational, law enforcement, medical, military, and emergency preparedness endeavors. Within the framework of the Ambassador's Mission Strategic Resource Plan (MSRP) and EUCOM's Theater Security Strategy, the Kansas-Armenia Partnership strengthens bilateral security relationships, enhances partner capacity and promotes effective civil-military relations. Twice a year, in January and July, the State Partnership Program hosts the International Officers visit from Command and General Staff College,

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

, Kan. This is a state government visit to

Topeka Topeka ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeaste ...

to familiarize international officers with the judicial, legislative and executive branches of state government; including the role of the National Guard. Other military cooperation events focus on enhancing U.S. military standards and procedures, as well as enhancing interoperability between Euro-Atlantic and Armenian forces. Annually, the program continues efforts to expand beyond the military-to-military relationships. Civil engagement initiatives started in 2008 in the areas of higher education and police/law enforcement and have begun to show tangible results. Expanding on the efforts started in education, Kansas partnered with the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement within the U.S. Embassy in Armenia to begin conducting law enforcement related events similar to the military events the Kansas National Guard has been conducting.

Partnership focus

The following are EUCOM stated areas of focus for the Kansas-Armenia partnership: * Foster regional stability * Assist with strategic defense reform * Increase

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

interoperability * Strengthen multilateral military cooperation * Increase Armenian coalition contributions * Enhance expeditionary medical capabilities * Enhance Peace Keeping Brigade capabilities * Improve demining capabilities

Funding

The U.S. has made a concerted effort to help Armenia during its difficult transition from totalitarianism and a command economy to democracy and open markets. The monetary value of assistance provided by Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) and

State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

defense related programs is mandated by Congress and fluctuates slightly each year. Over the last 4 years, International Military Education and Training (IMET) for Armenia has amounted to approximately 3.2 million US Dollars. This has provided military education and language training for over 100 Officers, NCOs and junior enlisted soldiers. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) for Armenia has amounted to approximately 17.5 million US dollars. FMF has been used to promote professional military education, deployable medicine and enhancing the Armenian Peace Keeping Brigade. Humanitarian Assistance (HA) for Armenia has amounted to nearly one million US Dollars provided to schools, hospitals and orphanages throughout Armenia.

International organizations and agreements

Armenia is a member of the UN,

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...

European Neighbourhood Policy The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a foreign relations instrument of the European Union (EU) which seeks to tie those countries to the east and south of the European territory of the EU to the Union. These countries include some who seek ...

of the EU,

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, the pr ...

(OSCE), Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), NATO's

Partnership for Peace The Partnership for Peace (PfP; ) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) program aimed at creating trust and cooperation between the member states of NATO and other states mostly in Europe, including post-Soviet states; 18 states are ...

, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO),

Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) is a post–Cold War, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) institution. The EAPC is a multilateral forum created to improve relations between NATO and non-NATO countries in Europe and Central Asi ...

, and World Trade Organization. U.S. assistance supports Armenia's transition into a stable partner at peace with its neighbors. The United States provides multifaceted assistance to Armenia through a variety of programs designed to promote economic growth, encourage democratic governance, improve health and social protection systems, and enhance Armenia's peace and security as well as providing humanitarian assistance to the poor, elderly, and other vulnerable groups through a "whole of government" approach that involves a number of U.S. government agencies. The Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, limiting military equipment, was ratified by the

Armenian parliament The National Assembly of Armenia (, ''Hayastani Hanrapetyut'yan Azgayin zhoghov'' or simply Ազգային ժողով, ԱԺ, ''Azgayin Zhoghov'', ''AZh''), also informally referred to as the Parliament of Armenia (խորհրդարան, ''khor ...

in July 1992. In March 1993, Armenia signed the multilateral

Chemical Weapons Convention The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), officially the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, is an arms control treaty administered by the Organisation for ...

, for the eventual elimination of chemical weapons. Armenia became a non-nuclear state under the Non-Proliferation Treaty in July 1993. In July 2008, the U.S. and Armenia signed an action plan to partner on Combating Smuggling of Nuclear and Radiological Materials under the U.S. Department of State's Nuclear Smuggling Outreach Initiative (NSOI). In the same framework, Armenia is participating in the U.S.-led Preventing Nuclear Smuggling Program (PNSP). Armenia also participates in the Global Initiative to Counter Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT). In September 2010, Armenia and the United States signed an agreement to implement a Biological Threat Reduction Program, which will enhance U.S.-Armenia cooperation in preventing the proliferation of technology, pathogens, and expertise that could be used in the development of biological weapons. Armenia provides troops for peacekeeping operations elsewhere and has an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement and an Agreement on Cooperation of Defense and Economy with the U.S., and a Status of Forces agreement is in place.

References

External links