Lynne Tracy, the US Ambassador to Armenia, met on March 7 with Armenia’s Parliament Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan

YEREVAN—The new United States Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy reiterated the U.S.’s strong support for Armenia’s democratic institutions during a meeting with Armenia’s Parliament Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan on Thursday.

Mirzoyan congratulated the new American ambassador on assuming office and wished productive work for the welfare and prosperity of both countries.

Emphasizing that the US is one of Armenia’s important partners, Mirzoyan said that Armenia attaches great importance to further deepening and development of bilateral relations.

In the context of developing bilateral intergovernmental relations, Mirzoyan stressed the role of inter-parliamentary partnership, expressing conviction that the soon-to-be formed Armenia-US friendship group and the US Congressional Armenian Caucus are important circles for developing ties between the legislative bodies.

In the context of deepening political dialogue with the US, the Speaker of Parliament attached importance to the role of existing mechanisms – the USATF and TIFA.

Mirzoyan also highly appreciated the US assistance over more than 25 years for the strengthening of democracy, economic development and various reforms.

“Democracy, human rights and freedoms, the combat against corruption, transparency and accountability aren’t simply words for us, these are fundamental values, and Armenia will steadily head on this path. I call on our international partners, also the United States, to stand on our side and support the strengthening of democracy in our country,” Mirzoyan said when speaking about the continuous process of ongoing reforms in Armenia.

The US ambassador touched upon the directions of bilateral cooperation, future programs and actions. She too attached importance to the role of parliamentary diplomacy for strengthening bilateral ties.

“It is an honor to meet you Speaker of National Assembly and to reiterate the firm support of the United States to the democratic institutions of Armenia,” Tracy said.

The sides also discussed the development of the Armenian-American commercial relations, as well as boosting partnership in the IT sector.