Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan received a delegation led by Erika Olson, the newly appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, which included OSCE Minsk Group US Co-Chair, Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Andrew Schofer and USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Alexander Sokolowski and other officials. US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Lynne Tracy also attended the meeting.
Welcoming the guests, the Deputy Prime Minister praised the US support to Armenia, and presented the main problems facing the country in the post-war period. In this context, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed that despite the current challenges, Armenia has managed to maintain macroeconomic stability.
The interlocutors stressed the importance of anti-corruption programs and programs aimed at strengthening democratic values. The effective cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development was praised.
Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement process, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed the role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and stressed the need to intensify the negotiation process within its framework.
Mher Grigoryan considered the return of the Armenian prisoners of war, the immediate release of the hostages, to be a key issue.
Erika Olson expressed readiness to assist in the speedy resolution of humanitarian issues in the region.
A number of issues related to regional significance and bilateral relations were also touched upon during the meeting.
