Remarks by Ambassador Arman Kirakossian at the Armenian
Assembly of America National Advocacy Week event
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Members of Congress, It is a great honor and privilege for me to have the opportunity to address you at this important convention of leaders, supporters and activists of the Armenian Assembly of America. I commend the strong leadership, professional focus and political competence of the Armenian Assembly of America in strengthening the U.S.-Armenian bilateral relations. I want to thank the Members of the House of Representatives for their participation today and your strong support for the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian people. Several times in the last century, the United States Government extended critical and vital assistance to Armenia in time of need, and since reestablishment of independence in 1991, the United States has been a steady partner in promoting Armenia’s democracy and economic development. Armenia has fully supported and assisted U.S.-led campaign to combat international terrorism. We are supporting the coalition efforts for disarmament of Iraq, and Armenia is ready to provide assistance to the post-conflict rehabilitation and stabilization of the country. For the last two years, U.S.-Armenian military and security cooperation has augmented the traditionally strong political and economic ties between our countries. We hope to further strengthen the security component of our relations, as U.S. military assistance to Armenia will help our armed forces upgrade its communication capability. U.S.-Armenian relations are deeply rooted and strong. Underlying the strength of the bilateral relations are shared values and interests in the region, as well as the presence of the Armenian American community as the human link between our countries. Armenia appreciates the mediation effort of the United States in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Armenia remains committed to a peaceful and just settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which will require strong commitment from all parties to the conflict as well as a serious international effort to promote regional and post-conflict rehabilitation projects. The conflict settlement process will be reinvigorated once the election season is over both in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenia has just held a presidential election, its fourth since independence, and while there exist election-related grievances, they are pursued legitimately in the Constitutional Court. The continued involvement of the political parties and public in the election process, which is evident in the parliamentary elections campaign currently underway, testify to the serious commitment of the Armenian people to democratic values. The U.S. government’s assistance programs in Armenia over the last decade helped promote Armenia’s democratic development and make necessary legal and economic reforms, ultimately improving the business environment and boosting investors’ confidence in the Armenian economy. Armenia’s accession to WTO, its solid economic performance in the last three years, and strong growth in U.S.-Armenian trade and investment flows that are beneficial to both sides are signs that the Armenian economic reforms are on the right track. The increased trade is the result of greater investment and commercial involvement of the Armenian American community. Nevertheless, external constraints such as the blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan are still major factors that require constant nurturing of Armenia’s economic and political development, and Armenia looks forward to working with the United States to address its many challenges with the help of U.S. assistance programs that we hope will continue at the comparable level. U.S.-Armenian economic and commercial relations will continue to grow, and we will work together to institutionalize and place them on solid foundation of mutual benefit and intergovernmental agreements. Our region is experiencing historic geopolitical changes, and the spread of democratic values in our region can only benefit both the United States and Armenia. The task of strengthening of U.S.-Armenian relations is not just the responsibility of the two governments – it is also the voluntary duty of the numerous Armenian American advocates of Armenia. I want to thank you for your commitment and support of Armenia, and I look forward to working together with you as we address Armenia’s strategic challenges. Thank you. |