ArmInfo. There are no American laboratories or laboratories of any other country on the territory of Armenia, the Spokesman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry Tigran Balayan made such a statement, reacting to publications in the media that Russian experts had been given access to the so- called laboratories on the territory of Armenia.
"All these laboratories operate under the authority of the Republic of Armenia, and only our citizens work there. Yes, Russian experts visited these laboratories since 2017 and this is quite consonant with the Armenian-Russian friendly relations, "Balayan said. To recall in 2016, with the financing of the US Defense Ministry, three laboratories were opened in Armenia - in Yerevan, Gyumri and in Ijevan. After their opening, publications are regularly widely spread in the Armenian and Russian media that these laboratories are dual-use facilities and can be used for military purposes for the creation and production of biological weapons. The US Defense Ministry allocated $ 15.5 million for the establishment of the reference laboratory in Yerevan, and the total amount of funding was $ 18 million. In Yerevan, $ 4.1 million was invested in the construction of the reference laboratory for the food safety department for especially dangerous pathogens of the RA Ministry of Agriculture. The US Government invested $ 9.8 million for repair of the reference laboratory of the "National Center for Disease Control and Prevention" of the Armenian Ministry of Health, ensuring the seismic stability of the building and creating the necessary laboratory infrastructure. An additional $ 1.7 million for both laboratories was allocated for the purchase of new equipment and furniture.