Armenia, US Discuss Defense Cooperation

YEREVAN (Armradio) — President Serzh Sarkisian received today US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Carpenter.

The Armenian President hailed the consistent development of the Armenian-American relations ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations, and noted that the two countries are approaching the 25th anniversary of relations with serious achievements registered over the past few years.

President Sarkisian expressed gratitude to the US Government for the continuous support to Armenia’s economic development, implementation of reforms in different spheres, development of democracy and civil society. He praised the US role in the maintenance of peace in the region.

President Sarkisian attached importance to the Armenian-American cooperation in the field of defense, especially the US support to the defense reforms in Armenia, and development of capacities in military medicine, mine clearance and peacekeeping.

The interlocutors noted that the current high-level relations between Armenia and the US are based on mutual respect, and the two countries enjoy firm partnership relations both in bilateral and multilateral formats.

The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense expressed gratitude for Armenia’s contribution to peacekeeping missions.

Serzh Sarkisian and Michael Carpenter discussed issues related to the cooperation in the military field, regional and international security.