We are discussing with our State Department associates the chances for holding [Armenian] Prime Minister [Nikol] Pashinyan’s and [US] President [Donald] Trump’s meeting within a short time, and that matter is on the agenda.

Armenia’s Ambassador to the US Grigor Hovhannissian, on Monday told the aforesaid to the state-funded Public Television of Armenia. The ambassador added that the initiative for such talk had come from the US Congress members.

With respect to the remark that there was a view that it was after First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s recent visit to the US that it was decided to block the Millennium Challenge Corporation program’s possible access to Armenia, the ambassador responded that this decision was made prior to Mirzoyan’s visit. Furthermore, he said that, during the Armenian deputy PM’s visit to the US, the parties had discussed the additional opportunities that will enable to maintain the busyness of the two countries agenda, but without the Millennium Challenge Corporation assistance. Ambassador Hovhannissian said Armenia-US relations were so multilayer and there were so many respective opportunities that a diversification needed to be sought in these relations.

And with respect to the Armenian first deputy PM’s recent visit to US, Grigor Hovhannissian said as follows, in particular: “Ararat Mirzoyan was in New York to present Armenia’s report. Taking the opportunity, a chance arose to invite him to Washington [, D.C.,] so that several important meetings be held to inform about the changes in Armenia.”