12:43,

YEREVAN, JUNE 10, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received US Acting Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip T. Reeker and his delegation on June 10, Pashinyan’s Office told Armenpress.

Welcoming the US delegation, the Armenian caretaker PM highlighted the development of Armenian-American cooperation and stated that this visit is a good opportunity to discuss the agenda and prospects of the bilateral relations.

Pashinyan appreciated the recent address of US President Joe Biden on recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide and expressed hope that it will contribute to the maintenance of stability and security in the region. He said the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide is an important factor for regional security because the security challenges of the Armenian people have not changed in the past 100 years, and the recent war against Artsakh has proved that because the same players, who have been involved in the organization and implementation of the Armenian Genocide, were involved in this war.

Philip T. Reeker in his turn noted that he is visiting Armenia for the first time and is happy to be in Yerevan to discuss the bilateral relations with the Armenian partners. He conveyed the greetings of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Nikol Pashinyan and reaffirmed his readiness to develop the partnering relations with Armenia.

The US official highly appreciated the processes aimed at developing democratic institutions in Armenia and considered the 2018 parliamentary elections as exemplary. The US side expressed readiness to continue assisting the implementation of democratic reforms in Armenia.

The Armenian and US sides also discussed the situation in the region. They both highlighted the key role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship and the necessity of taking actions to mitigate the tension.

In the context of the Artsakh issue, caretaker PM Pashinyan said the position of the Armenian side is that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict must be solved within the frames of the peaceful process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship, based on the principles proposed by the Co-Chairs.

Pashinyan also drew the attention of his guest to the necessity of quick return of Armenian POWs, hostages and other detained persons and immediate withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed units from Armenia’s sovereign territory.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan