Third United States-funded Border Crossing Checkpoint Opens in Turkmenistan

PAS No 260
October 15, 2009

Officials cut the ribbon to open the border checkpoint. View the Photogallery

Turkmenabat, October 15, 2009 – A delegation of representatives from the U.S. Government, headed by Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Curran, the Director of the Central Asia Office, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the U.S. State Department Mr. Tom Hushek, Rear Admiral Michael Franken representing the United States Central Command and Colonel Wroblewski representing the Nevada National Guard, gathered in Turkmenabat for the official opening of a new Turkmen border crossing checkpoint at Farap on the border with Uzbekistan.  This state-of-the-art facility will allow efficient international commerce while deterring illegal trafficking in narcotics, weapons of mass destruction, persons, and contraband. 

In her opening remarks, the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Sylvia Curran emphasized that "this Border Crossing Checkpoint is the third checkpoint which the United States Government has provided to Turkmenistan.  These checkpoints represent the continuing efforts between the United States and Turkmenistan to work together to battle against those forces which threaten the peace and stability of our countries."  The first border checkpoint "Altyn Asyr" was opened in 2006 on the border with Iran and the second border checkpoint "Imamnazar" was opened in 2007 on the border with Afghanistan.

The U.S. Government spent more than $6 million in total on Farap project.  The Farap Border Checkpoint is designed with the latest technology to provide a significant increase to Turkmenistan’s ability to screen traffic entering and exiting this border area.  This capability will enable the Turkmenistan Customs Service, the State Border Service, the State Migration Service, together with six other agencies, to better protect Turkmenistan from smuggling, narcotics, and the other evils which often accompany illegal trafficking.  The high level of technical capabilities of the checkpoint will greatly increase the safe, secure flow of traffic to and from Uzbekistan.