U.S. to Continue Assisting Armenia in Promoting Democratic Reforms

YEREVAN — The United States is ready to continue assisting Armenia in promoting democratic reforms, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Joshua Huck said during a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on Friday.

The Prime Minister highlighted the dynamic nature of Armenia-U.S. relations and emphasized the importance of U.S. support in implementing institutional reforms in the country.

Pashinyan stressed the need for targeted programs in Armenia with U.S. support, particularly in the area of infrastructure improvement.

Huck reiterated the U.S.’s readiness to continue supporting Armenia’s democratic reforms, noting that the expansion of programs and increased funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are aimed at this goal.

The two also discussed the agreements reached at the Armenia-EU-U.S. high-level meeting held in Brussels in April and the progress of their implementation.

The discussions touched on issues related to the peace treaty negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the Armenian Government’s “Crossroads of Peace” project. In this context, Prime Minister Pashinyan reiterated Armenia’s commitment to the peace agenda and ensuring regional stability.

Huck was accompanied by Louis Bono, the U.S. special envoy for Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks. They also met with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Thursday.

According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s readout of the meeting, Mirzoyan emphasized the importance of Yerevan’s proposal to sign an interim peace deal with Baku, which would leave out remaining disagreements. He also mentioned the artificial obstacles to such an arrangement, repeatedly rejected by the Azerbaijani side.