Within the framework of the familiarization trip to the South Caucasus, USAID Acting Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia Susan Kosinski Fritz paid a five-day working visit to Armenia from February 21 through 25. She visited several USAID project sites and met with the leadership of the Armenian government, representatives of civil society and the tourism sector, and with several partner organizations. Ms. Fritz oversees USAID’s $200 million annual budget assisting 13 countries in Europe and Eurasia, including Armenia.
During her meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, Ms. Fritz recognized the partnership of the Armenian government within the framework of the three bilateral assistance agreements with USAID in the areas of economic growth, democracy and governance (including civil society), and health and social reform. The parties discussed US-Armenia bilateral relations, some of the current challenges and priorities of the Armenian government, the country’s reform agenda, and issues related to the open skies policy, anticorruption, civil society and decentralization. Armenia’s vision and progress toward integration into the Eurasian Economic Union and the near-term priorities of the newly established Ministry of International Economic Integration and Reform were also discussed with Deputy Prime Minister Vaché Gabrielyan.
Ms. Fritz visited several USAID-supported institutions and activity implementation sites, including the Agribusiness Teaching Center, the Yerevan night care institution #2 and the Vanadzor InfoTun in Lori province. She also participated in roundtable meetings with civil society representatives and tourism industry partners. At these roundtables, USAID’s support for the development of local civil society organizations and Armenia-Turkey cross-border tourism prospects was discussed.
Acting Assistant Administrator Fritz’s visit highlighted USAID’s two decades of strong partnership with Armenia. Through its current agreements with the Armenian government, USAID supports Armenia to increase the country’s economic competitiveness, promote civic participation and access to a wide range of media outlets, expand access to quality healthcare and social services, and protect the country’s most vulnerable citizens from poverty.
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