The USA and Armenia on 2 May signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concerning civil nuclear cooperation “enabling us to deepen our strategic cooperation following on the gains made in connection with the US-Armenia Strategic Dialogue”, the US State Department said. “This MOU improves our cooperation on energy security and strengthens our diplomatic and economic relationship.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed for the USA and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan signed for Armenia, during Mirzoyan’s visit to Washington.
“The United States and Armenia maintain long-standing cooperation across the breadth of our relationship, including in the fields of security, energy, commerce, and non-proliferation, the State Department statement noted. “Deepening our cooperation in civil nuclear energy, science, and technology will strengthen our strategic bilateral relationship, and have wide-ranging, positive impacts on how we work together.”
The statement added that Nuclear Cooperation MOUs “are diplomatic mechanisms that strengthen and expand strategic ties between the United States and a partner country by providing a framework for cooperation and a mutually aligned approach to non-proliferation on civil nuclear issues and for engagement between experts from government, industry, national laboratories, and academic institutions”.
“We just had a very good dialogue, exchange between us, and indeed a big part of the purpose of these meetings is to relaunch the Strategic Dialogue between the United States and Armenia that was suspended because of COVID,” Blinken said. He praised praise the leadership of Armenia’s prime minister and his government, “the democratic reforms that they’ve been pursuing, the progress that continues to be made” and welcomed “the dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan” and “the flexibility that the prime minister and Armenia have been showing in this process working toward what we all want, which is a lasting peace”.
Mirzoyan in response noted that “after the democratic Velvet Revolution of 2018, through joint efforts, we elevated the level of our collaboration, cooperation to Strategic Dialogue”. He said talks had focused on “our democratic reforms, justice reforms, cooperation in banking sphere, looking ways of deepening cooperation in the sphere of defence, and of course prevention and fight against corruption, and many other areas”. He added that Armenia appreciates US support for the reforms and also “support for developing Armenia’s energy sector”.
