InternationalU.S. ambassador meets Armenian-Americans in Greater Boston and New York
Community “represents the foundation and the strength” of U.S.-Armenia relationship
Published: Thursday June 25, 2009
At the Eastern Diocese's Zohrab Information Center, Amb. Yovanovitch talks informally with a group of young professionals from the New York area.
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New York - Addressing about 250 people at the Diocesan Center in New York on Monday, June 22, Marie Yovanovitch, the United States ambassador to Armenia, spoke about U.S. goals in Armenia, discussed taxpayer-funded development programs, and asked participants to share their concerns on U.S.-Armenia relations.
"In many ways, the Armenian-American community represents the foundation and the strength of our bilateral relationship with Armenia," the ambassador said, underlining the support of diasporan Armenians for their homeland.
Ms. Yovanovitch had held a similar meeting on June 19 at the Armenian Cultural Foundation headquarters in Arlington, Mass.
Human rights expanded
Speaking in New York about progress made since Armenia's independence in 1991, Ms. Yovanovitch cited the expansion of human rights, economic growth, and increased reliance on the democratic process.
"I'm proud of our success stories," she said, "but there's always more that can be done."
One focus is to bring greater fairness and transparency to local and national elections. Though she observed a more open media environment and other changes in last month's municipal elections in Yerevan, Ms. Yovanovitch said there were still irregularities that made the election process problematic.
The U.S. government understands "that the path to democracy is rarely swift or smooth," the ambassador said, echoing language she had used in Massachusetts. She added that the U.S. government aims "to help people restore momentum to their own democratization."
In crisis, an opportunity
Turning to the economy, Ms. Yovanovitch stressed that despite rapid growth in recent years, the Armenian economy today faces the challenges posed by the global financial crisis.
In the first five months of this year, the economy contracted by more than 15 percent, she noted, a troubling trend that could lead to a rise in poverty rates. Citing World Bank projections, she warned that the proportion of Armenia's population living in abject poverty would grow to 28 percent in 2010, from 23 percent.
She noted that remittances from abroad, on which many Armenians depend, have decreased because of the global crisis, and the mining and construction sectors, which had driven much of Armenia's economic growth, have been hit hard.
At the same time, the ambassador said, the economic crisis is an opportunity for the Armenian government to make reforms that would put in place a transparent legal system, modernize the country's infrastructure, and establish a competitive private sector.
From the American people
To help during the economic crisis, Ms. Yovanovitch said, the United States is stepping up short-term humanitarian efforts, like a new program that allocates money to villages for infrastructure work and employs local residents to carry out the projects.
"It's basic assistance that makes a huge difference in the lives of individuals," Ms. Yovanovitch explained.
U.S. taxpayer money is also used to bolster law-enforcement capacity, operate newly opened advocacy centers and clinics, and support an initiative that assists municipalities in Armenia strengthen fiscal management, the ambassador said.
In addition, the U.S. government has partnered with companies like Coca-Cola and Sun Microsystems to sponsor programs that protect natural resources and promote information technology training at Armenian universities.
She called Armenia one of the largest recipients of U.S. aid worldwide, having received a total of $1.8 billion in assistance to date.
Hostile neighbors
Speaking about Armenia's relationship with its neighbors, Ms. Yovanovitch said the United States supports an open border with Turkey. She said the process of normalizing relations between the two neighbors should unfold without preconditions and within a timeframe acceptable to both parties. She added that the United States supports a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
"It will take hard work and political courage to transform Armenia and the region," she said, but she remained optimistic about future developments.
In Massachusetts, according to the Armenian Weekly, she argued that if the Armenian-Turkish border were to open, "everyone would win. No one knows what the economic results of an open border would be, but it's estimated that Armenia's GDP would go up by a few points. We believe that people from Turkey and Armenia would find they have more that unites them than divides them," she said
Before concluding her remarks in New York, Ms. Yovanovitch acknowledged the "anger and disappointment" felt throughout the Armenian-American community in regard to this year's April 24 statement from President Barack Obama.
She said that the decision whether to use the word "genocide" in the annual statement made by the U.S. president is ultimately a decision of the White House. The ambassador said that while the past must not be forgotten, it is important for Armenia to look forward, especially at a time of economic insecurity.
"Armenian solutions" needed
"Armenian issues require Armenian solutions," she said, explaining that while the United States provides support, in the end it will be up to the Armenian people to chart their path in the 21st century.
The New York event was co-hosted by the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) and the Fund for Armenian Relief.
In remarks introducing Ambassador Yovanovitch to the Armenian-American community, Diocesan Council member Sandra Shahinian Leitner called the Diocesan Center a most appropriate setting for the public forum.
"The Diocesan Complex is not only the central institution of the Armenian presence in America," she said, "it has also played a central and vital role in the ongoing relationship between the United States and the Republic of Armenia."
