US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the start of the US-EU-Armenia tripartite meeting held in Brussels that Washington and Brussels reaffirm their support for the democratic, prosperous future of the Armenian people.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the US supports the “Crossroads of Peace” project initiated by the Republic of Armenia.
“We support the ideas, Mr. Prime Minister, that are at the heart of your “Crossroads of Peace” proposal. We see a more integrated South Caucasus with more transportation routes, energy cooperation, telecommunications. This will promote diversified economies, expanded opportunity and will bolster peace and reconciliation efforts,” the Secretary of State said.
According to Antony Blinken, there is a strong future with a region that is increasingly integrated and that will benefit people and countries. “And the United States, the European Union want to help you build that,” Blinken said, adding that he looks forward to a fruitful discussion.
Blinken thanked Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for the partnership, noting that it is of great importance and creates a very solid foundation for what can be done together in the future.
“We are here to reaffirm Trans-Atlantic support for democratic, prosperous future for the Armenian people and a more integrated and a more peaceful South Caucasus region. We share the Armenian people’s vision for the future, we want Armenia to take its place as a strong, independent nation in peace with its neighbors, connected to the region and the world. The United States and the European Union both want to be partners in this effort. And today is the evidence of that,” said Blinken, adding that it is necessary to harness this moment of the choice of the Armenian people and its leaders.
The Secretary of State noted that the USA is investing in efforts that are aligned with the Prime Minister’s governance and economic reforms.
“We plan to provide more than 65 million dollars in aid. This indicator is 50% more than that of 2 years ago. We intend to further increase our support for Armenia’s democracy and economic stability by investing in food security, digital infrastructure, energy diversification, diversification of trading partners and other priorities set by the Prime Minister,” Blinken emphasized.
Referring to the support of the forcibly displaced Armenian population from Nagorno Karabakh, the Secretary of State, in particular, noted: “We will continue to support 100 thousand ethnic Armenians displaced from Nagorno Karabakh. This is central to Armenia’s long-term stability and prosperity, as well as regional security. Regional integration is a key to security and prosperity for Armenia.”
