U.S. Enhances Support For Armenia At The U.S.-EU High-Level Meeting

The following fact sheet was released in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, and the United States International Development Finance Corporation during the Joint EU-US-Armenia High Level Meeting in Support of Armenia.

Since 1992, the United States has invested approximately $3.3 billion in Armenia to support democratic reforms, economic growth and resilience, and to provide humanitarian assistance. In service to its commitment to advancing a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous Armenia for future generations, the United States has undertaken the following steps with our Armenian partners:

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Working with Congress, USAID will provide $33 million, to support the people of Armenia by assisting those displaced following recent hostilities; bolstering its energy sector; combating food insecurity; promoting economic stability, digital governance and regional integration; and defending human rights.

Assisting Displaced Persons

USAID will commit $8.5 million to support Armenians who have been displaced following renewed hostilities in the region. USAID will partner with national and local governments, along with international Non-Governmental Organizations, to show the people of Armenia that their democracy is delivering for them. This funding will provide psychosocial support, address housing and shelter needs, and help the Government of Armenia effectively communicate about these services so that those who qualify can access them. Over the coming year, USAID will support the Armenian government to broaden public awareness of state support available to displaced persons.

Bolstering Armenia's Energy Sector

Working with Congress, USAID will provide $8.6 million to help secure Armenia's Energy sector. Through the Energy Security Armenia activity, USAID will improve Armenia's energy sector planning; its ability to access and integrate increased renewable energy generation, supply and technologies; and improve energy efficiency. This funding will also strengthen Armenia's ability to better plan, manage and address critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities to the country's energy infrastructure. It will also support and address key vulnerabilities, ranging from enterprise-level IT security at energy sector institutions to broader legal and regulatory support to help establish a national cybersecurity framework.

Combating Food Insecurity

Working with Congress, USAID will provide $6 million to help stabilize food security for Armenia writ large. This funding will increase agricultural productivity of staple crops in a climate-smart manner that is informed by innovations in digital agriculture and knowledge management. It will increase food security by modernizing Armenia's food system to increase production for domestic consumption, and will reduce dependence on imports to stabilize market systems. It will improve agriculture sector knowledge management, increase agricultural production efficiency, food system resilience and risk reduction. And USAID will support efforts to increase grain production and storage capacity of Armenian farmers.

Promoting Economic Stability, Digital Governance, and Regional Integration

USAID will commit $7.4 million to promote economic stability, digital governance, and regional integration. With this funding, USAID will empower reformers and strengthen government capacity to promote public administration reforms, enhance investment transparency, expand trade diversity, attract high-quality investments, foster economic connectedness, and address urgent societal challenges.

Through USAID's Advancing Digital Democracy Initiative, USAID will work with governments, technologists, civil society and other partners to foster digital ecosystems in which technology is developed, used, and governed to advance democracy and respect for human rights. USAID will also fund a transport strategy supporting regional transportation integration, like the Armenian government's Crossroads of Peace Initiative. This strategy will evaluate how to integrate Armenia into global trade and transportation routes in the South Caucasus, helping reinvigorate trade between Armenia and its neighbors, creating new jobs across the region, and realizing regional economic benefits from interconnection.

Defending Human Rights

USAID will commit $2.5 million to address lingering human rights concerns in Armenia. This funding will help support local efforts to strengthen human rights in Armenia, including crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting LGBTQI+ persons, discrimination, labor rights violations, and gender-based violence.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Democracy and the Rule of Law

The U.S. State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement continues to deliver for our Armenian partners and is launching new programming this spring. Flagship projects include institutionalizing anti-corruption reforms across the law enforcement and justice sectors with a focus on service-oriented policing and improving the public's timely access to justice. New programs will further advance Armenia's anti-corruption agenda through institutional reforms - like merit-based hiring and promotion policies and technical skills development related to investigations, evidence, public advocacy and civil asset forfeiture. INL is also supporting a TSA courtesy assessment of Zvartnots International Airport during the week of April 1.

Economic Growth and Resilience

The United States supports efforts to deepen bilateral trade and investment ties, to enhance Armenia's business climate, diversify the country's trade relations, and address urgent societal challenges.

The Departments of State and Energy will continue to support Armenia as it weighs replacement options for the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant by continuing to fund feasibility studies, engage in scientific exchanges, and explore financing options for U.S. nuclear technology. We will also continue to explore upgrades and emergency response center support and life extension support activities for the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant.

The Departments of Commerce and State are working to enhance bilateral technology trade through deepened cooperation around export controls for advanced technology and increased business-to-business ties between U.S. and Armenian tech companies.

The United States will support IPR enforcement, procurement reform and digital infrastructure and 5G governance. The United States funded Armenia's attendance at the 2024 Prague Cyber Security Conference to discuss vendor diversity, cloud security, submarine cables, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence security.

The State Department will continue to support Armenia's national cybersecurity strategy and development of a national Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT) by helping establish a roadmap, providing capacity building, engaging in CIRT-to-CIRT collaboration and sponsoring ISAA's participation in the global CIRT community.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is launching a $900,000 program to promote Armenia's food security and create a roadmap for diversifying its trade partners and maximizing domestic production.

Humanitarian Assistance

The U.S. State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) continues to provide humanitarian assistance to support vulnerable displaced persons in Armenia, including providing an additional $3.3 million in humanitarian assistance for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). With this new funding, the United States has announced more than $7 million in humanitarian support for displaced persons and refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh so far in fiscal year 2024. This funding brings total U.S. humanitarian assistance to support the Nagorno-Karabakh response to nearly $31 million since September 2020. This funding provides emergency shelter and non-food items, health care services, including mental health support, and protection assistance, including cash assistance. It also supports delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance for affected children, adolescents, and their families in areas such as health, nutrition, child protection, education, social protection (including humanitarian cash and vouchers) and water, sanitation and hygiene support.

The United States has contributed $5 million to the World Bank's Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF) trust fund for Armenia.

Regional Economic Integration

The U.S. State Department's Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program will deliver four mobile X-ray scanners in the summer of 2024 to reduce transportation bottlenecks and facilitate the flow of goods through the region. These mobile X-ray scanners meet the urgent need to move goods through Armenia to support local and regional trade.

The State Department will continue to provide training and equipment to counter nuclear smuggling, including the replacement of radiological scanners at Zvartnots International Airport with U.S. technology.

The Transportation Security Agency is providing an assessment of the implementation of Armenia's civil aviation security standards and practices in support of Armenia's efforts to expand regional and global aviation connectivity.

U.S. INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE CORPORATION

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is committed to supporting private-sector-led development in Armenia and plans to send a senior-level representative this year to the country to explore additional opportunities to support the Armenian economy. DFC is in the final stages of committing a $50 million loan focused on support for the rural and agricultural sector and women-owned businesses, which it hopes to formally launch in the coming months. DFC's current portfolio in Armenia includes support for small businesses in the agriculture and trade sectors, women-owned or -managed businesses, affordable mortgage lending, and hospitality.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.