We will continue efforts to achieve stable and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan - USAID Administrator
5 minute read
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 20, ARMENPRESS. The United States will continue to support efforts to achieve a lasting and stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which is essential for the long-term stability and prosperity of the South Caucasus and the surrounding region, USAID Administrator Samantha Power said during a special discussion held at the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in the United States, addressing Armenian-American relations and partnership.
"We will continue to support efforts to achieve a lasting and stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which is essential for the long-term stability and prosperity of the South Caucasus and the surrounding region," Power emphasized.
She added that Armenia now has a historic opportunity to bring prosperity to its people and to demonstrate that open, transparent, and citizen-centered governance can provide a better future.
“If we continue to invest in Armenia’s success, it will inspire citizens around the world to strive for similar progress,” Power highlighted.
She expressed the view that Armenia’s trajectory is a unique bright spot, though it remains underappreciated.
“Armenia is a place where people are striving to raise their voices to build a more representative, transparent, and responsive government, to grow their economy by fostering effective trade relations, and to establish connections with their neighbors and the world,” Power said.
In her view, Armenia is diversifying its partnerships. Power emphasized that Armenia’s success in these efforts is important not only for the Armenian people but also for all who believe in the power of democracy and trade to create a better future.
“The Armenian people are undertaking this work in a geopolitically tense neighborhood, and to successfully overcome these challenges, Armenia needs the support of friends and allies. The United States has responded to that call for support,” USAID Administrator Samantha Power emphasized.
In her speech, she also recalled that in April 2024, a trilateral meeting was held in Brussels between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. She highlighted that such initiatives demonstrate the depth of the Biden administration’s commitment to supporting Armenia.
“I am honored to be part of USAID, and I believe it plays an important role as a catalyst while striving to be flexible and responsive to emerging needs. Since the Velvet Revolution of 2018, we have increased our funding to Armenia by 75%,” Power noted.
She pointed out that when Armenia began implementing serious reforms in 2018, the new government inherited a challenging situation: entrenched corruption, a suppressed and biased media, and a government and economy burdened by bureaucracy and inefficient systems.
“As part of the fight against corruption, USAID is working with the Government of Armenia to improve the Electoral Code, giving new impetus to anti-corruption efforts,” Samantha Power emphasized.
She added that in 2018, Armenia ranked 105th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. “Today, thanks to the hard work of reformers both inside and outside the government, Armenia ranks 62nd. It is difficult to find another country that has made such rapid progress. I know there is an aspiration to rise even higher,” Power highlighted.
Highlighting Armenia’s progress in democracy, Power noted that since 2018, Armenia has advanced over 30 places in Freedom House’s rankings for civil liberties and political rights, improving from 132nd to 97th place.
Power also highlighted that Armenia has made significant progress in economic growth in recent years.
“Since 2020, Armenia-US trade turnover has reached 321 million US dollars, marking a record high,” she noted.
She also spoke about her visits to Armenia, mentioning that during those visits, she met with Armenians forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. Power added that USAID continues to provide support to Armenians who have been forcibly displaced.