Tuesday, April 16 2019 19:39

ArmInfo. Assistance to reform agenda of Armenia's new government is a key factor in  Armenian-American relations, the US Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy  stated on the air of Azatutyun Radio.

According to her, this in turn implies strengthening of the country's  civil society and independent media.  When asked to tell about  herself, Lynne Tracy stated that she was appointed to the post of  ambassador for the first time, and proud to be appointed US  ambassador to Armenia. At the same time, she added that she had  previously worked as a deputy ambassador to Moscow, and also worked  in Central Asia (in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan), Afghanistan and  Pakistan. "I am determined to work with the Armenian authorities and  civil society to deepen our cooperation," Lynne Tracy said.

At the same time, stating the existence of serious work experience  with post-Soviet countries, the American diplomat noted that after  the collapse of the Soviet Union, each of the post-Soviet countries  went its own way of development, including Armenia. "It is enough to  recall last year's events in order to understand how successfully  Armenia is on its way," she said.

Touching upon the activities of the new government and the  impressions of the new young team, Lynne Tracy, in particular, said:  "Some words come to my mind to describe them - positive energy,  enthusiasm, opportunities. And I think this generally corresponds to  our common agenda, what should the democratic agenda be? development,  which is also important in terms of the independence of the state. "  At the same time, the diplomat said that the meetings at the  government discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest,  including the eradication of corruption.  At the same time, the  ambassador stated that there are many talented people in Armenia,  therefore a wide range of issues was discussed, including the reform  agenda of the Armenian government and the possible assistance of the  United States in this matter.  Speaking about the steps taken by the  RA government to combat corruption, the diplomat stated that the  Armenian-American cooperation is focused on deepening the rule of law  in Armenia, strengthening the judicial system and ensuring the  accountability of these institutions to the people, increasing the  transparency of their activities. "And these are the areas in which  we interact with the RA government, and which inspire us with hope. I  believe that work in this area still has to be done both in Armenia  and in countries like the United States," said Lynne Tracy.  At the  same time, she stressed the importance of creating a favorable  business environment in Armenia so that it is predictable,  transparent and free. According to her, it is important for business  that the country be attractive and develop. "This is another area  where we encourage government action," she said.  However, she  refused to give an assessment of the activities carried out in the  framework of court cases, since they have not yet been completed.  However, according to her, she sees the desire of the authorities to  strengthen institutions in the country, which play a key role in  strengthening the rule of law. "These are the courts, the police, the  Ministry of Justice and other structures that play an important role  in the fight against corruption. From this point of view, we will  continue to encourage the authorities` efforts to carry out reforms  in this area," she said, expressing her conviction that this  ultimately will lead to an increase in the confidence of the Armenian  society in the courts.