February 3, 2006

A message from U.S. Ambassador John M. Evans:

In his State of the Union address on January 31, U.S. President George W. Bush laid out his vision for how America and the world community can work together to pursue the enemies of freedom and strengthen global prosperity. In his annual address, President Bush reiterated the commitment of the United States to engage with our partners overseas to defeat terrorism, and rejected the roads of isolationism and protectionism. Through the strong tradition of friendship between the United States and Armenia, I believe that together our countries can play an important role in achieving President Bush's vision of advancing democracy and securing peace and prosperity throughout the world.

In his address to the American people, President Bush stated, "For people everywhere, the United States is a partner for a better life." The President noted that in recent years, America has taken "unprecedented action to fight AIDS and malaria, expand the education of girls, and reward developing nations that are moving forward with economic and political reform." As part of America's commitment to assisting its partners in the world community, the United States has provided over 1.6 billion dollars worth of assistance to Armenia since the 1992 opening of the U.S. Mission in Yerevan. This assistance is focused on three major goals: strengthening democratic institutions in Armenia, providing for a more stable and secure South Caucasus, and building the economies of all three countries of the region.

President Bush also emphasized America's commitment "to a historic, long-term goal: the end of tyranny in our world." President Bush stated, "Every step toward freedom in the world makes our country safer, and so America will act boldly in freedom's cause." Armenia has joined the United States in helping to safeguard the world against terror. On January 22, the third contingent of Armenian peacekeepers deployed to Iraq. I would like to thank Armenia for its honorable contribution to multinational efforts to secure peace and stability in Iraq and the greater Middle East.

With President Bush's renewed commitment to international engagement, I look forward to the United States and Armenia continuing to work together towards achieving our common goals in the coming year. As President Bush stated, "In a time of testing, America cannot find security by abandoning commitments and retreating to isolation within our borders....There is no peace or honor in retreat. America rejects the false comfort of isolationism. We accept the call of history to deliver the oppressed and move the world towards peace."

Ambassador John Evans Holds Press Conference on the State of the Union Address