News - Richard Verma: US ready to assist in Armenia's peaceful, democratic future

The US State Department has been trying to reduce the visa issuance waiting period for the past two years. Last year, it issued 67 percent more non-immigrant visas in Armenia. This was stated by Richard Verma, US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, in his address Monday at the US-Armenia Local Democracy Forum that has started in Yerevan. Also, they talk with business leaders who create commercial ties in the US and Armenian governments; their job is to assign and develop ideas that enable to boost trade and provide real opportunities for Armenians and American Armenians. Their trade relations increased threefold in 2020-2023, from $96 million to $330 million, Verma said. They will study how they can deepen the partnership between the American and Armenian private sectors, he added. The US is ready to assist in Armenia's peaceful and democratic future for the Armenian people. The US invests in that regard, and with its assistance, the respective programs have almost doubled in the last few years. There is only one road in Armenian-American relations, and it is the road of progress, Richard Verma emphasized.