ArmInfo. The velvet revolution in Armenia opens up new opportunities for enhancing Armenian-American cooperation and raising bilateral relations to a strategic level. About this in an interview with Voice of America, said the co-chairman of the friendship group with Armenia of the US Congress, Frank Pallone.
To recall, Pallone is the author of a legislative initiative on Armenian-American strategic cooperation, which, if adopted in Congress, will encourage the US State Department to approach Armenia as a strategic ally.
According to the congressman, after the velvet revolution, Armenia has become a more democratic country, where a free market economy is encouraged, laws dominate, and this opens up opportunities for creating a new platform for cooperation between countries not only in democratic processes, but also in the economic and commercial fields. He stressed that democratic Armenia is an important partner for the United States. "Even the Russian base stationed in Armenia cannot stop the democratization process in the country. The West considers that Armenia is under the influence of Russia only because there is a Russian base there. Neither I, nor members of the group of friendship with Armenia in the Congress, believe in this. We understand that Armenia depends on Russia, because there is a threat of invasion from Turkey and the war with Azerbaijan, "Pallone stressed. He also focused on the need to enhance cooperation between parliamentarians of the two countries, taking the initiative to organize mutual visits in 2019.