U.S. – Armenia Economic Task Force

The U.S. – Armenia Economic Task Force (USATF) was established on January 27, 2000 with the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Governments of the United States and Armenia. The idea for such bilateral mechanism to discuss priorities and directions of U.S. assistance to Armenia was first proposed during the working visit of then-Prime Minister of Armenia, the late Vazgen Sargsyan to the United States, in October 1999.

The USATF was formed to provide a framework for regular high-level contact, to promote further economic cooperation, to advance progress on economic and market reforms, and to maximize the effectiveness of the assistance programs offered by the United States. The USATF is co-chaired by the Coordinator of Assistance to the NIS, Department of State for the United States, and the Minister of Finance and Economy for the Republic of Armenia.The USATF is convened on bi-annual basis, and has held 9 sessions since its establishment. The USATF meetings are convened in Washington, DC and Yerevan on consecutive basis. Typically, officials from various government agencies, from both countries, are represented at the USATF sessions. These agencies include the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Foreign Ministry, the Energy Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the Trade and Economic Development Ministry, the State Customs Committee, the Central Bank, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Chief Economic Adviser to the President from the Armenian side, and the Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, and the Office of the Trade Representative from the U.S. Two sub-groups are formed within the framework of the USATF; one discusses issues of trade and commerce between the two countries, increasingly becoming one of the major lynchpins in U.S.-Armenian bilateral relations, and the other subgroup, the cooperation in the area of science and technology.

"USATF Holds Its Biannual Meeting In Washington DC, November 4-5, 2003"

U.S.-Armenia Task Force on Economic Reform