The US and Europe are developing a plan to bring Armenia closer to the Transatlantic Community. James O’Brien, Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the US Department of State, announced this during the hearing dedicated to Nagorno-Karabakh in the House of Representatives of the US Congress.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has publicly announced that she intends to hold a meeting with the US and Armenia with the aim of bringing Armenia closer to their communities, the aforementioned American diplomat said, adding that he discussed this matter with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan a few days ago, and that they are now trying to develop its model.

The respective proposal that the EU can make Armenia in terms of trade preferences, economic cooperation, and access to the single market is incredibly important, and they can help with this, O'Brien said. He noted that the allies are now in the “middle of the road” and trying to understand what the economic future could be.

The Assistant Secretary of State added that the US and Europe are working on additional measures to ensure Armenia's security, and recalled France's considerable assistance in this regard.

And when asked what tools Washington is ready to use in order to conclude the peace agenda, and whether it is considering the imposing of sanctions, James O'Brien responded that they are considering all the tools they have. He stressed, however, that he is not going to make predictions about possible sanctions, but the latter also are an element of their "arsenal."