RA Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan today received the head of the US Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, and the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Yuri Kim. Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Narek Mkrtchyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, Minister of Economy Vahan Kerobyan and other officials were also present at the meeting.

Welcoming the guests, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the USA's critical role in strengthening Armenia's democracy.

"Unfortunately, the external security challenges in our region and the consequences arising from them threaten to make democracy in Armenia irreversible. Despite this, our government is committed to implementing the adopted agenda, confident that it can provide security and sovereignty," Tigran Khachatryan said.

The Deputy Prime Minister presented the difficult humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the problems of the forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh. Tigran Khachatryan gave his American colleague the steps taken by the RA government to provide accommodation and essential goods to the forcibly displaced persons.

Samantha Power emphasized the readiness of the US government, and USAID in particular, to assist in addressing the needs of people displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. The head of USAID noted that the support provided to Armenia has tripled in the recent period and at the same time expressed readiness to assist the government in managing the newly emerging problems.

The parties discussed the programs and priorities on which efforts will be focused shortly.