US Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills talks to reporters on Wednesday
YEREVAN—The United States Ambassador to Armenia, Richard Mills, told reporters Wednesday that active efforts are underway to arrange a meeting between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. He added, however, that no decision has been made.
“We are looking at whether it might be possible for President Trump and Prime Minister [Pashinyan] to meet in New York around the margins of the UN General Assembly,” said Mills.
The Ambassador said the U.S. government and the Embassy in Yerevan were satisfied with the high level of bilateral relations between the two countries.
“Just in the last six weeks we had President [Armen] Sarkissian in Washington to meet with the Secretary of State [Mike Pompeo]; we had the first deputy prime minister [Ararat Mirzoyan]; and the minister of justice [Artak Zeynalyan] is there this week,” added Mills.
During his chat with reporters, Mills said that interest in Armenia, in terms of investment and trade, has increased in the U.S. since the peaceful popular movement last spring, which overthrew the government of former president Serzh Sarkisian. He also hailed efforts by the Armenian government to advance and strengthen the investment climate in Armenia for U.S. and foreign investors.
“Investors are watching some of the changes here in the country which they welcome. They are also watching the investigations into corruption and tax evasion that the government has launched. And I can tell you that U.S. investors welcome that. They want to make sure that these investigations are done in accordance with the rule of law, and so that anyone who did investment here in good faith is not mistreated,” added Mills.
To illustrate the continuing strong bond between Armenia and the U.S., the ambassador pointed to recent meeting between high-level Armenian government officials to advance relations.
“Recently the Armenian minister of defense [Davit Tonoyan] was in Brussels and had a chance to meet with senior defense department officials and discuss the opportunity to deepen our existing cooperation in the military field. Both for the U.S and Armenia it’s very important to see the deepening and expansion of our economic and commercial relations,” explained Mills.
Source: Asbarez
Link: US Ambassador Says Efforts Underway for Pashinyan-Trump Meeting