YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS: President Serzh Sargsyan, who is on a working visit in the U.S,  arrived to Washington from Boston on March 31, where he met with US Vice President Joe Biden in the White House. Previously, they met a year ago, on May 7, 2015 in the National Cathedral in Washington during a prayer dedicated to the Armenian Genocide victims.

As "Armenpress" was informed by the Department of Public Relations and Mass Media of the Presidential Office, the sides stressed that since the Armenian independence, the United States-Armenia relations are rapidly developing by mutual political efforts, and noted with satisfaction that currently the bilateral relations include various fields, such as, political, economical, humanitarian, security, and that every year new achievements are registered.

By President Serzh Sargsyan’s assessment, the Armenian-American partnership is currently on the highest level in the history through joint efforts, which is evidenced by the visits of different levels of recent years. The President praised the United States' contribution to the economic development and implementation of reforms in various fields of Armenia.

Serzh Sargsyan stressed the importance of the US role in regional security and stability, especially the active involvement of the US in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

In addition to the bilateral relations, the sides discussed the regional situation in the South Caucasus, international problems and challenges. In this context, the sides exchanged views on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement within the OSCE Minsk Group process and developments in the Middle East.

The President noted that the Armenian side relies on the international community and especially the CO-chairing countries to sober up Azerbaijan, take practical steps.

The President expressed his appreciation to the US Congressmen, for the attention and active efforts towards the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. According to the President, steps taken by the Congressmen can be exemplary for parliamentarians of other countries.

Serzh Sargsyan noted that Armenia is extremely concerned about the activities of terrorist groups in the immediate neighborhood and strongly condemns it. The President noted with regret that as a result of the ongoing atrocities many Armenians living in Syria and Iraq are becoming refugees and are being killed, centuries-old spiritual and cultural heritage of the region is being destroyed.

Vice President Biden highly assessed Armenia's efforts in sheltering large numbers of refugees from Syria and creating favorable conditions for their well-being.

The sides expressed hope that effective mechanisms will be implemented to solve the problems of minorities in the Middle East, promoting the return of Christian communities and protection of their centuries-old culture and heritage. Serzh Sargsyan and Joseph Biden also expressed confidence that by combining efforts it will be possible to confront current challenges.