Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, at the opening of the U.S.-Armenia Strategic Dialogue Capstone Meeting in Yerevan today, said Yerevan is “interested in further exploring possibilities for cooperation for Armenia’s defense transformation.”

Mirzoyan told visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. O’Brien that today’s meeting “is yet another expression of high-level political dialogue between our two countries that will give another impetus to the evolving partnership between Armenia and the United States.”

Mirzoyan stressed that Armenia’s “strong commitment to democratic principles” is at the very core of the U.S. – Armenia partnership, adding the two countries must expand their multi-sector cooperation.

“We also believe that our enhanced partnership, along with the continued U.S. support for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, holds the potential to contribute to the establishment of durable and dignified peace in the South Caucasus,” Mirzoyan is quoted by his office as saying at the meeting.

The Armenian Foreign Minster said the Pashinyan government “remains strongly committed to the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan and border delimitation based on the mutual recognition of territorial integrity.” 

The U.S.-Armenia Strategic Dialogue (USASD) was launched in 2019 to mark the one-year anniversary of the “Velvet Revolution” in Armenia.