September 25, 2023

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Administrator Samantha Power At Her Meeting With Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan

Administrator Samantha Power arrived today in Armenia to affirm U.S. support for Armenia’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and democracy and to help address humanitarian needs stemming from the recent violence in Nagorno-Karabakh.

ADMINISTRATOR SAMANTHA POWER: Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for the warm welcome for me and my team. I know how busy you are as well, especially given the circumstances.

President Biden sent me and our delegation here in the wake, of course, your calls with senior U.S. principals, to underscore the United States’ deep commitment to Armenia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democracy. I know, as the head of USAID, our work with the Armenian people and the Armenian government has never been as intense and as important as it is now. I may have come to Armenia, and I hope to come again, to discuss the kinds of things we are doing to help strengthen your democracy. You're deepening democracy.

But on this trip, of course, we are focused on the immediate crisis, the humanitarian needs of people in Nagorno-Karabakh, the humanitarian needs of those who have fled Nagorno-Karabakh. I gather around 5,000 people have come across today. And we take very seriously, of course, our responsibility to mobilize resources ourselves to support the local authorities and the local communities who've opened up their hearts and their homes, but also to get other countries to do the same.

So the United States will continue to work both with your government and with the government of Azerbaijan to bring about the lasting peace between your two countries, knowing also what profound economic dividends stability would bring to the Armenian people. And, again, the steps that you have taken in your leadership role to strengthen checks and balances to expand economic growth to fight corruption – all of those are an investment in Armenia's future.

For more information: www.usaid.gov/administrator-power-travels-armenia-sept-2023