Secretary of State Blinken and USAID head Power, referring to Armenia's democratic progress, announced that the United States will provide 20,600,000 US dollars to promote further developments.
The new financial commitments, announced during the UN General Assembly, will target government reforms and improve public services under USAID's Democracy Works initiative.
USAID's "Democracy Works" event took place today on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Secretary of State Blinken and USAID Director Power, in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, gathered under one roof heads of partner states, philanthropic partners, and civil society. Society should examine the increase in support for Armenia and other countries where democratic prospects and opportunities are opening.
Summing up work with Congress, USAID, and the State Department, $20 million was announced to support Armenia in increasing cybersecurity, border security, and energy security and strengthening resilience to complex threats and challenges.
In addition, USAID also announced $600,000 in funding under the Initiative to Improve Information Proficiency and Resilience (ProInfo) to support independent media technology upgrades and media and information literacy to deliver impactful and public-interest journalism, promote innovations, and advocate key reforms in the media sector in Armenia.
The new USD 20,600,000 support for Armenia is in addition to the approximately USD 11.9 million announced during USAID Director Power's visit to Armenia in July of this year. Funding is aimed at strengthening economic resilience, promoting digital solutions, and increasing disaster response preparedness.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, who attended the event with leaders and high-ranking officials of other countries on the way to democratic development, emphasized the country's democratic progress, welcoming new investments and cooperation to increase democratic resistance.
Secretary of State Blinken and USAID head Power launched the "Democracy is Effective" initiative in 2022. The initiative aims to form a common platform of stakeholders and partners, through which resources will be provided to countries on the way to democratic ascent to help ensure tangible and lasting results for the country's citizens. These resources aim to support government reform and improve public services, focusing on responsiveness to citizen needs and increased transparency and accountability.
"In July, I was in Yerevan to personally see the work carried out by the Armenian people in the direction of this significant progress and further developments. And now, I'm pleased to announce that USAID and the Department of State, working with Congress, will provide Armenia with $20 million to increase cyber security, border security, and energy security, and strengthen resilience," USAID Director Power said in his welcoming speech.
Continuing the positive momentum initiated by the Assembly for Democracy process and pursuing the themes advanced in previous meetings of the Democracy Works initiative, this gathering re-emphasized the US commitment to maintaining this platform for democracies to consolidate efforts and take action on an ongoing basis, which will show the opportunities provided by democracy and the dignity of every person.
Together, we will prove that democracy can win and provide positive results for every person.
