We are here to show that we are your friend, and thank you for your reforms towards democracy. Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Democrat Ben Cardin, stated this during a joint press conference with Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan in Yerevan Friday.

Armenia is a leader in the arena of democracy in this difficult region, and they want to emphasize once again the strong ties between the US and Armenia, Cardin said.

Armenia’s  biggest challenge at the moment is the normalization of relations with its neighbors, and peace talks with Azerbaijan. The US supports that agreement. But here are obstacles in that regard, and Russia is not a “friend” in reaching an agreement with Azerbaijan, Cardin added.

 He emphasized that they want to strengthen the partnership with Armenia, but being here, they see the security challenges that exist for Armenia. The international support that exists in the military context is a limitation for Armenia, the US senator noted.

He added that they see the security challenges facing Armenia. Regarding the military aggression and Armenian ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, Cardin said they know that the normalization of relations between the two countries is necessary, but there should also be accountability in terms of refugees, and there should be the task of preserving cultural heritage.

He assured that they will continue to keep these issues and problems in the center of attention. The American senator said they want to increase ties in the security, economic, and political arenas. They will try to highlight ways by which they can further deepen the progress they have had. This partnership is important not only for the United States, but also for democratic countries, concluded Senator Ben Cardin.