The below is attributable to Acting Spokesperson Shejal Pulivarti:
Today, Administrator Samantha Power began her second day in Armenia with a meeting with Armenian National Security Advisor Armen Grigoryan. The Administrator reinforced the United States commitment to building Armenia’s resilience and supporting the government’s Crossroads of Peace initiative, which, along with peace in the region, will expand regional connectivity, unlock Armenia’s economic potential, and drive economic growth in the South Caucasus.
The Administrator then met with Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan to discuss the importance of digitization to the government’s reform agenda. The Deputy Prime Minister and Administrator Power agreed on the need for secure and reliable digital systems to streamline the provision of government services, improve government accountability, and protect Armenia from cyber attacks and other potential threats. Following the meeting, Administrator Power joined the Minister for High Tech Industries, Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, to publicly launch a public private collaboration between the Government of Armenia, USAID, and Amazon Web Services to build resilience in Armenian institutions to support of continuity of government.
Administrator Power then had a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan –their fourth meeting since September 2023. The Administrator noted progress on key reforms over the last few years and expressed continued U.S. support for Armenia’s fight against corruption and improvement of government services that benefit the Armenian people. The Prime Minister updated Administrator Power on Armenia’s efforts to support the near and long term needs of ethnic Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, and the Administrator highlighted USAID support to this population. The Prime Minister and Administrator Power discussed the importance of the U.S.-Armenia partnership and the shared commitment to deepen the relationship, including through implementation of the new commitments that the United States announced during the April 5 EU-U.S.-Armenia High Level Meeting in Brussels.
The Administrator held a press conference to conclude her trip, highlighting new initiatives that will continue to support Armenia’s democratic trajectory and ensure that democratic reform delivers tangible benefits to the Armenian people.
