Tuesday, September 26 2023 11:32

ArmInfo. "I can only imagine how painful the events of the past week have been for the  Armenian people," USAID Administrator Samantha Power told a press conference in Yerevan. 

"To see Armenian communities attacked, to be cut off from your  families and loved ones in Nagorno- Karabakh. To not know their fate,  to read of potentially dire shortages of food, medicine and fuel. I  know this crisis is particularly painful given how the world has  failed to protect Armenians in the past. This morning, I visited the  Armenian Genocide Memorial and laid a wreath at the eternal flame.  Not only to honor the memory of those killed and forced from their  homes more than a century ago, but to remember our shared duty to  stand up for one another's safety, dignity, and cultural heritage.

"So today, Prime Minister [Nikol] Pashinyan and I discussed how the  United States can support the Armenian people, both in the immediate  term in Nagorno-Karabakh, and going forward as Armenia safeguards its  sovereignty and territorial integrity, strengthens its democracy, and  builds prosperity towards people.

"First and foremost, we are calling on Azerbaijan to maintain the  ceasefire and take concrete steps to protect the rights of civilians  in Nagorno-Karabakh. President [Ilham] Aliyev has promised to  guarantee the rights of ethnic Armenians. Azerbaijan must live up to  that promise, and more than that, and critically, the world must be  able to verify that Azerbaijan is living up to that promise. All  parties should allow for an international humanitarian assessment,  and a monitoring presence on the ground to track Azerbaijan's  adherence to its commitments and provide real time reporting to the  international community. And vitally, Azerbaijan must permanently and  fully reopen the Lachin Corridor to passenger, commercial, and  humanitarian traffic. The promises to protect the residents of  Nagorno-Karabakh will remain hollow until civilians are allowed to  leave and return at will. Until shipments of food, medicine, and  supplies are able to reach communities. And until humanitarian  actors, like USAID, are given the access we need to meet urgent  humanitarian needs.

"Since hostilities reignited in 2020, the United States has provided  more than $24 million in humanitarian and development assistance in  response to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh - helping provide food,  water and sanitation, medical care, child protection, psychosocial  support, and emergency response. Tomorrow, I will announce additional  humanitarian assistance. Already, we are providing essential supplies  like household and hygiene kits, blankets, and clothing to support  people who have left their homes in Nagorno- Karabakh and need help  right now. We are at the ready to provide food, cash, legal support,  shelter, and protection services to those in need of assistance. We  are working closely with local authorities who are providing  supplies, and local communities who have opened up their hearts and  their homes to those fleeing the violence.

"The people living in Nagorno-Karabakh deserve an end to violence,  they deserve to live in safety, and they deserve to maintain their  Armenian cultural connections and the ability to move back and forth  as they choose. The United States will continue to engage with  Azerbaijani and Armenian leadership at the highest levels in pursuit  of a lasting peace. And as we look to the future, we will also  continue our partnership with the people of Armenia to cement  democratic gains and drive economic growth, so that the latest  attacks do not undermine the remarkable progress that Armenia has  made in recent years.

"I want to commend Prime Minister Pashinyan and the Armenian people  for the democratic reforms you have led since citizens rose up in  2018 and demanded change. You have taken on corruption, and opened up  space for civil society and independent media to voice opposition and  to hold leaders accountable. In fact, just last week, on the  sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Secretary of State Blinken  and I hosted Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at an event to  spotlight progress of democratic reformers around the world, and to  shine a spotlight on the reforms that have been undertaken here in  Armenia.

"We at USAID are deeply committed to supporting this progress. We are  supporting the establishment of a specialized anti-corruption court  and investigative agency. We are working with the Government of  Armenia to identify and reduce the bureaucratic hurdles that Armenian  citizens and businesses face when accessing government services. All  told, the United States has provided $3.3 billion since 1992, to  support the people of Armenia, and we are committed to deepening this  partnership every day.

"Armenia has made historic strides to assert its independence and  sovereignty, to fight for democracy, to build economic opportunity  for its communities, to safeguard its ability to live in dignity and  peace - which is fundamental. As you Armenians continue this path of  progress, even through the latest crisis, please know that you have a  friend and a trusted partner in the United States," Samantha Power  said. 

The full transcript of Samantha Power's press conference in Armenia  is available here:   https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/speeches/sep-25-2023-administrator-samantha-power-press- conference-armenia?fbclid=IwAR3G-_W_cvE- CgqZCKnfqKsuyTNs0clrSsHfb609GNYcBjSEjsrPnBZN6s4