Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received a delegation led by the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, the PM’s office informs.

The premier welcomed Hooker’s visit to Armenia and noted that, recently, the cooperation between the two countries has risen to a new level. According to the head of Armenia’s government, their partnership with the US is being newly perceived both within the government and among the Armenian public. Also, Pashinyan highly valued the contribution of the US—and personally of President Donald Trump—in establishing peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The premier stressed the importance of implementing, in accordance with the planned timetable, the agreements reached and the work carried out toward their implementation within the framework of the Peace Summit held in Washington on August 8. In addition, the head of Armenia’s government emphasized the fact of the rich agenda that has formed in their bilateral relations with the US, which includes various sectors and directions.

In turn, Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker said that she had arrived in Armenian capital Yerevan to advance the vision set by President Trump and Prime Minister Pashinyan during their August meetings, and to discuss deepening of cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, regional connectivity, and security.

Furthermore, she emphasized the launch of the work of bilateral working groups headed by Sonata Coulter, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State overseeing policy toward Russia and Central Europe, whose purpose is to implement the bilateral agreements adopted at the historic summit and to develop the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).

The under secretary of state stressed that continued cooperation between the US and Armenia, combined with progress toward a full peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan and normalization of Armenia’s relations with Turkey, promises to open the South Caucasus as a vitally important trade route. In her view, this will create significant benefits for both the American and Armenian peoples—and made possible thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Prime Minister Pashinyan.

During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed the implementation of the agreements reached between Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Trump, the work of the working groups, the implementation of the TRIPP project, and upcoming programs.