The US ambassador welcomes the fight against corruption and efforts to improve the business environment

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan today received the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Armenia Richard Mills. The head of the government highlighted the regular meetings that have become traditional, which are a good opportunity to exchange ideas on the progress and development prospects of Armenian-American cooperation. 

First of all, Ambassador Mills expressed his regret regarding the big fire that broke out in the “Khosrov Forest” state reserve, noting that they don’t hear about the difficulties in fighting such disasters in the United States. He noted that the Embassy is in contact with the RA Ministries of Emergency Situations and the RA Ministries of Nature Protection in order to clarify the directions of technical and expert assistance to the departments in eliminating the consequences of the fire.

Referring to the improvement of the business environment and the fight against corruption, Ambassador Mills said:

“I warmly welcome your efforts aimed at fighting corruption and improving the business environment, which have led to an increase in the interest of American companies and investors in Armenia. We continue to consider ways in which we can support your efforts and deepen bilateral trade and investment. we are trying to find the best ways to do this, including the most effective way to support the Anti-Corruption Council.”

Richard Mills emphasized that he has recently received very positive signals from American companies operating in Armenia regarding the activities of the State Revenue Committee and added that the United States is ready to continue its support to the government’s initiatives to further improve the business environment.

In turn, Karen Karapetyan noted that in the near future, analyzes will be made regarding what happened in the “Khosrov Forest” state reserve, after which the interaction with the American side will be more specific. 

Referring to the fight against corruption, as well as the activities of the SRC, Karen Karapetyan noted that it is nice to hear such an opinion about the steps taken by the government in these areas. 

“However, we still have a lot to do in these directions and the reforms will be continuous. We are determined to improve the business environment, to fight against corruption, because all that is just a necessity for the development of the economy,” the Prime Minister emphasized. 

Karen Karapetyan and Richard Mills also discussed the reforms implemented in the justice sector. The head of the executive noted that the road map for the reform of the judicial sphere is being developed, taking into account the existing problems and gaps, and in this direction the Armenian side also expects the support of American partners and specialists. The Prime Minister also emphasized the active participation of the US Embassy in the upcoming meeting of donor organizations in the field of justice, during which the main directions and priorities of further reforms in this field will be presented.

The interlocutors also discussed a number of other issues related to Armenian-American relations.