Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian received Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker and his delegation.

Welcoming the high-ranking U.S. delegation, Nikol Pashinyan stressed the need for further developing the Armenian-American cooperation. He said the present visit is a good opportunity to discuss the agenda and prospects of bilateral relations.

The Acting Premier expressed gratitude for U.S. President Joe Biden’s message, in which the President officially recognized and condemned the Armenian Genocide and expressed hope that this could help maintain stability and security in the region. Nikol Pashinyan said the recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide is an important factor for ensuring regional security because the security challenges facing the Armenian people have not changed over the past 100 years and the 44-day war against Artsakh came to evidence that fact, since the war was unleashed by the same actors that organized and perpetrated the Armenian Genocide.

The Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs noted that this was his first-ever visit to Armenia and he was pleased to be in Yerevan and discuss bilateral relations with his Armenian counterparts. Philip Reeker conveyed warm greetings on behalf of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and reaffirmed the U.S. side’s readiness to develop partnerships with Armenia.

Philip Reeker hailed the Armenian government’s drive for developing democratic institutions in the country and called the 2018 parliamentary elections exemplary in all respects. He reiterated the American side’s willingness to continue assisting Armenia in completing the democratic reforms.

The interlocutors next referred to the regional situation in the South Caucasus. In this context, they highlighted the role played by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the need to take steps to ease the tensions.

Coming to the Artsakh issue, the Acting Prime Minister emphasized that the Armenian side abides by the position that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved as part of the peace process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship and on the basis of the principles proposed by the Co-Chairs. Nikol Pashinyan called his interlocutor’s attention to the need for soonest possible repatriation of prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees and the immediate withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.

The sides also discussed issues on the bilateral cooperation agenda.