On December 17, the Embassy of Armenia in Washington, D.C. hosted a special fireside chat on USAID’s lasting impact in strengthening Armenia’s economic resilience and democratic governance. The event featured USAID Administrator Samantha Power, alongside Ambassador Lilit Makunts.
Ambassador Makunts opened the event by welcoming the distinguished guests, representatives of the Armenian American community and acknowledging the importance of USAID’s contributions to Armenia’s development. She expressed deep appreciation for Administrator Power’s leadership in advancing democratic values, human rights, and international development, emphasizing her commitment to Armenia’s growth.
In her remarks Administrator Power reiterated the strong partnership between the United States and Armenia, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration on issues such as energy security, climate change, and food security.
The fireside chat was moderated by Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, a distinguished diplomat who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia from 2008 to 2011.
The fireside chat was followed by Q&A session.
During the Q&A Ambassador Makunts mentioned that the bilateral relations are anchored first of all on the shared values of the two countries. She expressed conviction that there are a number of issues where the interests of the Republic of Armenia and the United States strategically align, one of them being peace in the South Caucasus. The Ambassador also spoke about the role of the Diaspora in strengthening Armenia-U.S. relations.
Ambassador Makunts closed the event by reaffirming Armenia’s commitment to further enhancing its partnership with the United States. She expressed optimism about the continued cooperation in areas of mutual interest and about further strengthening this relationship with the incoming administration.
The event, with the participation of representatives from U.S. government, Congress, think tanks, Armenian community, concluded with a reception.
