Your Excellency Ambassador,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Government of Armenia, I extend my warmest congratulations and best wishes on the occasion of 242nd anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America.

During the past quarter-century Armenia and the United States have established close friendship and partnership relations. We have reached many achievements and accomplishments, which are a source of pride and inspiration for us. And the most recent one is the Smithsonian Folk festival dedicated to Armenia, which is being held these days in the heart of Washington.

Mister Ambassador, you mentioned the enthusiasm among friends of the United States related to this festival, and I am sure that many of them would like to visit Armenia and enjoy our hospitality here in Armenia․

Since Armenian independence, the United States has provided invaluable support to development of many areas of our country. Today I would like to single out the efforts aimed at strengthening democratic institutions and civil society, rule of law, building peace-keeping capacities in Armenia and fighting the corruption. The political dialogue with the United States is a permanent and continuous process, and we intend to further deepen it.

The Armenian-American Intergovernmental Commission and the Council on Trade and Investment Framework Agreement served as an important platform for the development of our economic relations. And we look forward to working closely to reinvigorate them, expand partnership, discover new investment opportunities, and utilize the full scope of the current potential.

I cannot but appreciate the great contribution that the Armenian-American community has in the Armenian-American relations and which connects our countries and peoples with numerous visible and invisible bridges.

We highly appreciate the joint efforts of the United States together with other Minsk Group Co-Chairs, towards the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Your Excellency,

While coming here, I came up with a quote from someone of your country: “Government is instituted for the common good, for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people, and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any man, family, or class of men. Therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government, and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity and happiness require it.” These are the words of John Adams, one of the founding fathers of the United States. And it is somehow resonates today. And I recalled another quote from another President of the United States Mr. Ronald Reagan who used to say: “The Government is not a solution, the government is the problem.”  So it is a challenge for every government in the world not to be a problem. Armenia went through a significant phase in its history and your country had a fundamental contribution to this: you have been supporting the institutional development of Armenia, the political maturity, the legal literacy of the Armenian public, Armenian political class, which has given results throughout these years. And what happened in Armenia was in Armenia, for Armenia and by the Armenians.

And thank you very much for your personal contribution to the development of the Armenia-US relations. You actually come from Louisiana. This is one of the places amongst many I have not been to in the US. And I know there is a great contribution your state has made to the world heritage it was the culture of the jazz. And I am sure that the people are eager to let the music rock. And I do not want to use your time any more. I want to thank you very much for all the hospitality, all the hard work, all the contribution you have been making for the good relations.

Thank you very much.