ArmInfo. The signing ceremony of the Charter on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Armenia and the United States of America took place in Washington. The document is signed by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
In his welcoming speech, Blinken informed that a special group on border security issues will leave for Armenia next week to work together to strengthen border security. “We will strengthen the relevant work in this direction,” the US Secretary of State said. “We are creating a strategic partnership commission, which implies expanding cooperation in the fields of economy, security, defense, democracy, including interpersonal relations,” the Secretary of State said, adding that the United States is working with Armenia to strengthen efforts to protect the country’s sovereignty and sovereign territory.
At the same time, the American official expressed his conviction that in recent years Yerevan and Washington have managed to establish effective joint work, especially in the field of economic relations and cooperation. “We have expanded cooperation between our economies, especially in the energy sector, and now we are ready to start a new cooperation. I think this is a really important milestone. At the moment, we are negotiating in the fields of peaceful nuclear safety and nuclear energy. Let me emphasize that the Armenian Government has implemented reforms that clearly demonstrate a real commitment to creating an even more just and democratic society. We are becoming even stronger partners. I am sure that this will benefit our two countries, as well as the entire region and beyond. I believe that this Charter of Strategic Partnership, which we are signing, will contribute to the creation of a more sustainable, peaceful, secure and independent society,” he said.
In turn, the Armenian Foreign Minister thanked Washington for its efforts to support the integrity of the sovereign territory and independence of the Republic of Armenia. Mirzoyan stressed Yerevan’s commitment to the peace agenda in close contact with the United States.
“The Charter of Strategic Partnership of Armenia, which we are signing today, forms a solid foundation and makes our cooperation more ambitious. It includes many areas, including strengthening economic and energy ties, deepening cooperation in defense and security, promoting justice and the rule of law, developing innovation and high technology, and expanding people-to-people contacts,” he said.
Agreeing with his American counterpart that bilateral relations based on common values and mutual interests have experienced significant progress in recent years, Mirzoyan expressed confidence that they have reached a level where the creation of a strategic partnership is not only consistent with current realities, but also largely works in difficult geopolitical conditions.
“We highly appreciate the United States’ continued support for Armenia’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Equally important is the support of the United States in strengthening Armenia’s democratic institutions and economic sustainability. We deeply appreciate the United States’ involvement in promoting stable and long-term peace in the South Caucasus. We believe that a stable and prosperous South Caucasus reflects the interests of all regional actors and the broader international community,” he said. The Minister added that Armenia is committed to continuing close cooperation with the United States, and in the spirit of a shared commitment to global security, the Republic intends to join the global coalition against the Islamic State, thereby demonstrating its commitment to combating international terrorism.
“We believe that joint actions are necessary to address this threat. We are also starting negotiations on a nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States, which is known as the 123rd Agreement. It will define the framework for cooperation in the field of nuclear energy use and mark our commitment to the peaceful development of nuclear energy according to the highest standards of safety and non-proliferation. Looking to the future, we want to continue working with the new U.S. administration to achieve the ambitious goals mentioned in our strategic partnership. May this charter serve as proof of the deepening of strategic relations between Armenia and the United States, as well as a roadmap full of future joint achievements,” Mirzoyan concluded.
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