Address to the Armenian American Community by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the United States of America, Dr. Arman Kirakossian
Dear compatriots,
Please accept my cordial greetings on the festivities of New Year and the Armenian Christmas! I am convinced that the year 2005 will bring new achievements for the Armenian people in Armenia, Artsakh, as well as in the Diaspora.
It is a tradition to assess the past year’s events, results, and achievements in retrospect. While 2004 was an election year in the United States, and therefore characterized by the predominance of domestic politics, the U.S.-Armenian bilateral relations continued to make progress in a natural fashion. U.S.-Armenian dialog and cooperation in the political and security areas were further strengthened. The U.S. Government played an important and positive role in the process of peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, in its capacity as Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group. The military cooperation between Armenia and the United States acquired new quality, as the Armenian Armed Forces and Kansas National Guard signed a State Partnership Program, and two high ranking Armenian military officers, Chief of General Staff Col. General Mikayel Harutyunian and Deputy Defense Minister Lt. General Artur Aghabekyan came to the U.S. on an official visit. The Congress increased military assistance to Armenia to 8.75 million dollars, reiterating the principle of parity in U.S. military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Especially satisfying are the results in U.S.-Armenian economic and commercial relations. Only in the first ten months of 2004, Armenian exports to the U.S. grew by 36%; the United States is one of Armenia’s main trade partners. The U.S. Congress allocated 75 million dollars and 3 million dollars towards U.S. assistance programs in Armenia and Karabakh, respectively. In November, the Congress passed a measure granting permanent normal trade relations to Armenia. Armenian economy’s solid macroeconomic performance and prospects for growth were acknowledged this year, when the U.S. Government selected Armenia as eligible for a new mechanism for foreign assistance it had recently initiated, the Millennium Challenge Account programs for 2004 and 2005. U.S.-Armenian cooperation in science, technology, education, and culture continued unabated. Of particular importance is the comprehensive and descriptive report on the present state and future of Science and Technology sector in Armenia, prepared and published by a prominent U.S. scientific institution, the National Academies of Science.
Dear compatriots,
On behalf of the diplomatic missions of the Republic of Armenia in the United States, I thank all of our Armenian-American compatriots who have in many ways helped to address issues relating to Armenia and to promote Armenia’s economic growth. I want to assure you how greatly Homeland Armenia appreciates your assistance and your efforts, whether in lobbying on Armenian issues in U.S. Congress and state legislatures, helping Armenian diplomatic missions, investing in Armenia, or simply visiting Armenia as tourists.