Nominee of the Republican Party of Armenia to the post of the Prime Minister, former Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan attends the election at the RA National Assembly, on 17 April 2018

Trump Hails ‘New Era’ In Armenia

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WASHINGTON (RFE/RL) — US President Donald Trump has praised the mass protests that led to regime change in Armenia in May and said his administration stands ready to help the new Armenian government implement sweeping reforms promised by it.

“Armenia has much to celebrate this year,” Trump wrote to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in a congratulatory message on the 27th anniversary of Armenia’s independence on September 21.

“A peaceful, popular movement ushered in a new era in Armenia, and we look forward to working with you to help you execute the will of your people to combat corruption and to establish representative, accountable governance, rule of law buttressed by an independent judiciary, and political and economic competition,” read the message publicized by Pashinyan’s office.

“I look forward to further strengthening the partnership that began between our countries one hundred years ago,” it said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo similarly saluted “remarkable changes” in Armenia. “The peaceful popular movement that transformed the government has ushered in an exciting new chapter of Armenian history,” he said in a written statement.

Trump expressed Washington’s readiness to work with the new authorities in Yerevan on “the many areas of mutual interest” when he congratulated Pashinyan on becoming prime minister in May. Pashinyan said afterwards that he would like to “strengthen and expand” US-Armenian relations.

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The two leaders chatted briefly at a NATO summit in Brussels in July.

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