On June 27, in Washington DC, a panel discussion dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and the U.S. took place at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Bridget Brink offered opening remarks, addressing the current agenda of bilateral relations, while also underscoring that the relations between the two states are entering a new phase, marked by transition from aid-based to trade-based relations.

Former U.S. Ambassadors to Armenia Peter Tomsen, John Ordway and John Evans, as well as former and current Armenian Ambassadors to the U.S. Rouben Shougarian and Grigor Hovhannissian participated in the panel discussion. They addressed the evolution of the U.S.-Armenian relations, as well as their current state and the outlook. The discussion was followed by a question and answer session.

Ambassador Hovhannissian spoke about the historic friendship between the two nations, the long-standing support of the United States for Armenia’s independence, and to building a modern society founded on the values of democracy and market economy.

Speaking about the steps that are being taken towards strengthening the bilateral relations, Ambassador Hovhannissian expressed confidence that the two states will continue the comprehensive and multi-dimensional cooperation in various areas. He outlined that the IT sector and the existing large potential for innovations in Armenia offer opportunities for enhancing economic cooperation.

The event brought together Washington-based representatives of academia and think-tank community and the Armenian-American organizations.