PRESIDENT SARGSYAN RECEIVED THE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE JAMES B. STEINBERG

armradio.am
05.02.2010 11:01

President Serzh Sargsyan received the Deputy Secretary of State
James B. Steinberg and his delegation, which comprises the Assistant
Secretary of State Philip Gordon, the Ambassador of the United States
to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch, and other officials.

Welcoming the high guest, President Sargsyan said, "The
Armenian-American relations have traditionally been warm and friendly,
and visits, such as this one, are very important for deepening the
dialogue between our two countries."

Noting, that the last meeting took place a while ago, Serzh Sargsyan
stressed that there have been some important developments, and this
meeting is an excellent opportunity to recap and move forward.

According to the President of Armenia, progress has been registered in
the economic area. "Recently, the United States has become our fifth
trading partner and third country for Armenian exports which is very
important for us. We have introduced certain legislative changes, which
will further promote bilateral relations," stressed President Sargsyan.

The high ranking official of the Obama Administration noted that
this is his second visit to Armenia since assuming the position of
the Deputy Secretary of State.

James Steinberg conveyed to the President of Armenia warm greetings
from the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and reaffirmed
"readiness and willingness of the American side to continue working on
bilateral as well as multilateral issues, including regional issues."

The President of Armenia and the Deputy Secretary of State
gave positive assessment to the current state and scope of the
Armenian-American relations and their efficacy, noting dynamic
development of bilateral cooperation in the areas of security,
education, culture, and other. They also concurred that serious
work should be done toward the expansion of the economic and trade
relations.

The parties exchanged views on the process of normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish relations.

The Deputy Secretary of State hailed Armenia’s efforts aimed at
the resolution of regional issues. He reiterated the importance
of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations for the United
States, and said that the US stands ready to assist the parties
in the process. James Steinberg once again underlined the position
of the American side regarding the decision of the Constitutional
Court of Armenia, noting that it was a positive step which will help
to maintain the process. The American diplomat also noted that the
parties should display political will to continue the process.

President Serzh Sargsyan welcomed America’s balanced policy regarding
multilateral issues.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress